Sabah host Slavia Praha at the Azərsun Arena on Tuesday 13 October, kick-off 5:45pm UK, and neither side has a point to show for the league stage so far. Sabah are 34th of 36 after a 4-0 defeat at Man Utd, while Slavia sit 22nd after losing 3-2 at home to Lens. It is a game between two clubs that need something from it, and the visitors' habit of conceding and scoring in the same match points towards goals.
Sabah have had a mixed run. Of their last five, they won 4-0 at home to AGF and 5-2 at home to Be'er Sheva, and lost the other three, 2-1 away at AGF, 2-1 away at Be'er Sheva and then the 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford. The pattern is clear: they score freely in Baku and struggle on the road. They average 2.0 goals a game and have kept a clean sheet in 44% of their games.
Slavia Praha's recent record in the Champions League is tougher reading. They have not won in their last five games in the competition, a run that runs back through the 3-2 loss to Lens, a 4-1 defeat at Pafos FC, a 4-2 home loss to Barcelona, a 3-0 loss at Spurs and a goalless draw with Athletic Club. In their opening game they conceded three, both teams scored and the game went over 2.5 goals.
Both clubs are low in the table: Sabah are 34th, Slavia 22nd.
Sabah possible starting lineup:
Pokatilov; Zedadka, Dashdamirov, McCarthy, Puchacz; Rakhmonaliev, Nwachukwu, Lepinjica; Parris, Simic, Mickels
Slavia Praha possible starting lineup:
Markovic; Vlcek, Zima, Holes; Isife, Nowak, SadÃlek, Kubiak; Sturm, Ayaosi, Chytil
Danijel Sturm: Sturm has had a shot on target in four of his last five games and sits at 1.40 on Midnite to do it again.
Veljko Simic: The Sabah forward has hit the target in four of his last five, including each of the last four, and is 1.36 for a shot on target.
Ivan Lepinjica: The midfielder has committed a foul in four of his last five and averages 1.6 a game. Lepinjica is 1.22 to commit at least one.
Joy-Lance Mickels: The attacker has fouled in all five of his last five games and averages 1.2. Mickels is 1.30 to do so again.
We back Slavia Praha at 2.00 on Midnite, with Sabah at 3.25 and the draw at 3.75. On goals, both teams to score is 1.57, over 1.5 goals is 1.20 and over 2.5 is 1.62.
| Market | Best price | Statz chance |
|---|---|---|
| Sabah to win | 3.25 | - |
| Draw | 3.75 | - |
| Slavia Praha to win | 2.00 | - |
| Both teams to score | 1.57 | - |
| Over 2.5 goals | 1.62 | - |
Slavia's back line conceded three in their opening game, and Sabah's attack has scored freely at home, so we expect goals at both ends and a narrow Slavia win: Sabah 1-2 Slavia Praha. Sabah are at home and the draw is 3.75, so this is far from a foregone conclusion. The interest is in the player markets: Mickels to commit a foul, Simic to have a shot on target, Sturm to have a shot on target and Lepinjica to commit a foul combine at 3.02.