Waterford United vs Bohemians Predictions

Will Bohemians continue their European chase on Friday night? They head south to Waterford this weekend, aiming to continue the chase for a top three finish and Europa League football. However, the Bohs had gone through a rough patch, leading to questions about their ability to keep the pace at the top of the table. That’s left the Dubliners attempting to show their talents, but can their recent turnaround survive this weekend’s visit to the Blues?

The hosts are set to miss out on European football, despite their top four finish last term. They had taken fourth spot, but UEFA rejected their bid for a European license. That allowed fifth-placed St Pats into the European mix, with their opening game in the Europa League coming early in July. Waterford’s chances of making it into Europe next term also seem slim, as they now sit down in eighth, just a place above the relegation slots. While they have a 19 point lead over ninth, Waterford have still fallen quite a way from last term.

Bohemians are chasing European football of their own after their title chase faded. They are in third as things stand, sitting 12 points off the top of the table. However, the Bohs do have a six-point lead over Derry City in fourth, so as things stand Keith Long’s team are on the right track. They have established that lead thanks to an improvement in form in recent weeks, as they’ve now won three matches on the bounce.

Bohemians come into this clash having just beaten second-placed Shamrock Rovers 2-1 in their last game. The visitors have also claimed wins over Finn Harps and Cork in that time. They’ve hit scoring form by firing in at least two goals in each game, while they head into this match a full 14 points clear of Waterford in the table.

There’s little doubt that the Bohs are the better of the two sides, especially given that they’ve won 11 of 21 games this term. Waterford have won just one of their last four at home, conceding twice to Derry City and three each to Dundalk and Sligo Rovers in that time. They’ve got clear defensive issues, while they meet a Bohs side who have kept a clean sheet in 60% of their away trips. That has us backing the visitors to claim the points on Friday night.