Strasbourg vs Eintracht Frankfurt Predictions

After a solid 2-0 aggregate victory in the previous round, French side Strasbourg will come into this Champions League play-off feeling confident, though they’re not the only ones. Frankfurt recorded a 6-0 aggregate victory in the last round, so they too will fancy themselves to get the job done.

After being a little bit shaky against Maccabi Haifa, losing by two goals to one away from home, Strasbourg were nice and sturdy against Lokomotiv Plovdiv during the previous round. Defensively, they kept things tight, both home and away, conceding zero goals and surrendering just 0.58 and 0.46 expected goals. Going forward, the French side packed a punch, as they scored twice overall and posted 2.64 expected goals for.

The fact that they gave next to nothing away at home during the previous round will leave Thierry Laurey’s men feeling confident ahead of this first leg, even though they’re facing strong opposition.

While Strasbourg were solid during the previous round, Frankfurt were somewhat flamboyant, as they notched six on route to sending Vaduz packing. Their efforts away from home are particularly encouraging ahead of Thursday’s clash.

On their visit to Vaduz, Frankfurt showed lots of quality, especially in the final third, as they scored five goals and created 2.48 expected goals for. They will come up against a better side on Thursday, though such numbers are still encouraging. From a defensive point of view, the Germans also did well, as they kept a clean sheet both home and away, while they conceded expected goals numbers of just 0.34 and 0.17.

In the betting, ‘Over 2.5 Goals & Both Teams to Score’ appears to be a viable option. Both Strasbourg and Frankfurt kept a pair of clean sheets during the previous round, but they’re now up against better opposition, opposition that has looked strong in the final third. The hosts are averaging two goals for per home game in UEL qualifying, while Frankfurt are averaging 3.5 goals for per away game. Add in the fact that they’re averaging a combined 3.99 expected goals for in their respective home and away games and a high-scoring game look slightly more likely than the current price would have us believe.

Those looking for a ‘Correct Score’ punt can try a 2-1 win for the visitors. For all Strasbourg impressed during the last round, they’ve offered less than Frankfurt, who’re averaging both more goals and expected goals for per game, going forward.