Red Star Belgrade vs Red Bull Salzburg Predictions

With 26 automatic Champions League group stage qualifiers this season, the road through qualifying has been long and arduous for some teams but both Red Star Belgrade and Salzburg are now within touching distance of some big nights against some of the giants of European football. This Tuesday’s 1st Leg offers the underdogs a chance to play in front of their own fans and they will need to make the most of that luxury to stand a real chance next week in Austria.

Salzburg reached this stage by easily brushing aside Shkendija in the last round. A 4-0 aggregate win sets them up nicely for this one but they are away first this time around and they will need to hold their nerve with a big crowd likely at the 50,000 capacity Stadion Rajko Mitić in the Serbian capital.

Red Star Belgrade have had much more work to do in order to reach the play-off round. They started all the way back in the 1st Qualifying Round, beating Spartaks Jūrmala of Latvia 2-0 over two legs. They’ve since beaten Sūduva comfortably and then Spartak Trnava with an Extra Time winner in the away 2nd Leg. This though is a real step up in class against a Salzburg team that really impressed in Europe last term, reaching the Europa League semis.

The Austrians should progress over two legs but the first match could be a tight affair with the stakes high and two very good defensive units on show. Salzburg come into the game following five straight clean sheets, with four of those games producing under 2.5 goals. They have a 100% record in the Austrian Bundesliga after four games, with just one goal conceded and they look to have prioritised improving defensively over the summer as they potentially gear up for Champions League group stage action.

Red Star are also topping their league and have also won four out of four so far this term domestically, conceding just once. Indeed they’ve played ten matches so far this season in all competitions and have only let in three goals. That’s an exceptionally good record and while this will be a tougher test than all of their recent opponents, they clearly have some solid foundations from which to build.

Group stage action in the Champions League would be a huge achievement for both these clubs, not to mention a real cash boost for teams from leagues which could hardly be described as glamorous. Therefore both teams will be under real pressure here and with the pair so good at the back, a tight game looks likely. Backing Under 2.5 Goals could be the way to go.