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Peter Green - August 5, 2019
FC Basel vs LASK
Champions League Qualification
Date: Wednesday, 7 August 2019
Kick-off at 19:00 UK/ 20:00 CET
Venue: St. Jakob-Park (Basel).
LASK is a top squad in the Austrian Bundesliga but might come up short against this opponent. The main reason being the quality of the respective leagues in question. While the top division in Austria is a competitive one, against their Swiss counterparts, things could get difficult.
If not for Red Bull, LASK would easily have been the best in the country. Their positioning in the table and the stats they have recorded are enough testaments to this statement. So is the case for Basel, that if not for Young Boys, they could have reigned supreme.
Basel obviously has the confidence of being a part of the superior Swiss Super League, and to enhance their upper hand, they have the additional home advantage. A huge scorecard here would practically take them through this two-legged tie, canceling out the threat of the away fixture.
They won 11 of their last 14 games and scored two or more goals in 17 of their last 19. At home, they won eight of their last ten and was unbeaten in 21 of their last 24. They also managed to record two or more goals in 16 of their last 21 appearances in front of the home crowd and registered four or more goals in four of their last seven.
Coming to LASK, they are going through a period of great form, but the fact that their oppositions are not that great puts them at a huge disadvantage. Against a quality side like that of Basel, their weaknesses will be rightfully exposed, and the relative inexperience of the visitors in dealing with pressure situations will lead to their downfall.
