H2H: LASK Linz vs Antwerp – Prediction (Europa League

H2H: LASK v Antwerp – Comparison.

LASK’s Marko Raguz has scored four goals across his last four UEL home appearances (excluding qualifiers), each of which contributed to victory. Lior Refaelov has scored two of Antwerp’s three UEL goals so far and will have scored in three consecutive competitive games for the second time this season with another here. Expect a stop-start affair as the ball was in play for just 52 minutes per-match on average in LASK’s UEL games so far – the lowest such average of any side.

LASK Insights.

LASK Linz showed great resolve by hanging onto their 1-0 lead in the reverse despite ending the game with ten men. Since then, they have extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to six games (W5, D1), keeping a clean sheet in four of those victories. Should LASK avoid defeat, they will gain an all-important advantage over Royal Antwerp via a positive H2H record. The hosts have been rampant of late in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) and have run out winners in five of their last six home games in the UEL proper (L1). Moreover, LASK scored in both halves in each of the last three such victories, though they have never scored before HT in three prior meetings vs Belgian opposition (W1, L2).

Antwerp Insights.

Now winless in four competitive games (D2, L2), Antwerp won back-to-back UEL games prior to their defeat in the reverse, though defeat here would be the first time that they lost consecutive UEL or UEFA Cup games since a run of four between 1993-1994. However, victory would signify the first time they won back-to-back away games in European competition in their history. This will be Antwerp’s eighth competitive meeting with Austrian opposition, with the Belgian outfit yet to draw a game when playing such sides (W2, L5) whilst only winning when leading at HT (HT: W2, D3, L2). Notably though, the away side on the day never took a lead into the break in those games, while the second half averaged 1.71 total goals per-game, respectively.