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Peter Green - July 22, 2019
Maribor vs AIK
Champions League Qualification
Date: Wednesday, 24 July 2019
Kick-off at 19:15 UK/ 20:15 CET
Venue: Ljudski vrt (Maribor).
Maribor had blown away the opposition in their quest for the Slovenian domestic title the last season, and by the end of their run, had boasted of a nine-point lead at the top. This time though, they have not begun on the right note, as they failed to win both of their opening two games, and as a result, is placed eighth in the table.
Compounding their problems will be the arrival of Swedish rivals AIK, looking for a spot in the next round of the CL qualifiers.
The defending champions of the Allsvenskan are currently being given a run for their money by Malmo. Stockholm, as such, is waging wars on two fronts right now, and that’s never good news for fans.
Maribor knows the importance of this tie. If they fail to take advantage of their home status now, for sure they will be having a tough outing in the second leg.
Supporting their cause, they were unbeaten in four of their last five fixtures, three of which were wins, and was invincible in 12 of their last 16 at home. AIK, meanwhile, has just three wins from their last thirteen road trips and has clearly been struggling on the road in recent days.
As such, expect the hosts to have the edge this Wednesday. But do count on the guests to keep it competitive.
The Swedes have found the back of the net in 13 of their last 15 on the road, and in 12 of their last 14 overall match-ups. Also, Maribor failed to keep a clean sheet in 16 of their last 20 games, and in eight of their last eleven at this venue.
As things stand, BTTS seems like a good option to back.
