Switzerland Super League champions Young Boys host Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday night in the UEFA Champions League playoff round.
The two aspiring Champions League group stage teams are just two matches away from the Champions League proper. Young Boys enter the qualifying competition at the playoff round and will be well rested for their first leg fixture.
Red Star Belgrade, who competed in the group stage last season and famously defeated Liverpool on their home turf, joined the qualifying round at the first-round stage. Red Star Belgrade beat Suduva Marijampole 2-1. The Serbians followed it up by defeating Finland’s HJK 3-2 on aggregate.
Zanima vas ko putuje za Bern?👌Spisak je tu, a mi krećemo!Sutra igramo prvu utakmicu plej-ofa za @ChampionsLeague!🙌🔴⚪️#fkczhttps://t.co/akLboNcPFo— FK Crvena zvezda (@crvenazvezdafk) August 20, 2019
Zanima vas ko putuje za Bern?👌Spisak je tu, a mi krećemo!Sutra igramo prvu utakmicu plej-ofa za @ChampionsLeague!🙌🔴⚪️#fkczhttps://t.co/akLboNcPFo
The Serbian champions just edged past Denmark’s Copenhagen in the third-qualifying round. After finishing 2-2 on aggregate, Red Star Belgrade won 7-6 on penalties.
Young Boys have played four matches on the domestic front claiming three wins and one draw. The Bern-based team have scored seven goals while conceding three times. Young Boys have won three straight matches in the Swiss Super League.
The Swiss side should be rested this week after playing a round of 64 Swiss Cup match over the weekend. Manager Gerardo Seoane was able to tweak his team as Young Boys defeated Etoile Carouge, 1-0.
Red Star Belgrade are also undefeated on the domestic front. They have claimed four victories from four matches. Red Star Belgrade’s most recent match, played on Saturday, saw them defeat Spartak, 3-2.
Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade both played in the Champions League proper last season. Young Boys played against the likes of Manchester United, Juventus, and Valencia, finishing last in the group. Red Star Belgrade experienced a similar fate playing against Liverpool, Napoli, and Paris Saint-Germain.
Jean Pierre Nsame and Nicolas Ngameleu have been in brilliant form for Young Boys. Nsame has scored five goals in his last three games in all competitions. Ngameleu has tallied two goals in his last four matches in all competitions.
Red Star Belgrade have won just twice in six Champions League qualifying matches this term. Their tie against Copenhagen in the third qualifying round saw Red Star Belgrade fail to win both matches.
The two clubs met in 2004-05 in Champions League qualifying with Red Star Belgrade claiming a win and a draw. Those matches occurred long ago and will have no bearing on Wednesday night’s fixture.
Young Boys are playing well on the domestic front and will be able to parlay that over to the Champions League. It will be a low-scoring fixture with the Swiss side just edging past Red Star Belgrade.