Wednesday 06/08/2014, 20:00, Champions League Qualifiers, Partizan Belgrade vs Ludogorets

Partizan Belgrade vs Ludogorets Preview

It's been a while since the team from Serbia played in the Champions League, but this year, Partizan Belgrade has a decent chance at making the groups. Before playing the decisive round, the hosts need to outshine neighbors Ludogorets, a team that held them scoreless in the first leg. Having home pitch advantage definitely helps, and their stadium is expected to turn into a steaming volcano tonight.

Partizan Belgrade vs Ludogorets Odds

At Totepool

Partizan Belgrade 2.35, Draw 3.20, Ludogorets 3.00

Partizan Belgrade vs Ludogorets Tips

In the absence of official matches, Partizan Belgrade had no choice but to get busy with friendly games and they won the vast majority of them. In the last 12 rounds, they will lost just once and scored plenty of goals, which suggests that the new manager is willing to take more chances upfront.

This was not exactly obvious in the previous round, when the Serbian team was relatively toothless on the road, but things are bound to change in Belgrade. In the four games preceding the scoreless draw, Partizan won four in a row and scored three times in each of those matches, with many of those goals being authored by midfielders.

Two strikers stand out from the crowd and both Lazovic and Skuletic are going to start tonight in an attempt of beating the odds and advancing to the next stage. They need to score at least once, while hoping that the backline will successfully complete its mission and prevent the Bulgarian side from scoring. It won't be easy, given Ludogorets' recent record and consecutive wins on the road.

July started fast and furious for the Bulgarians, but once the domestic championship began and the Champions League qualifiers got more difficult, draws started to pile up. Before winning against countrymen Marek last round, Ludogorets had to settle for three draws in a row and only managed to score a single goal over that span.

Key Facts

• The Bulgarians only need a draw and recent results suggest that they are quite capable of defending when they have to.
• Partizan Belgrade is the best home team in the Serbian championship and when they have the support of their fans they are a force to be reckoned with.

Partizan Belgrade vs Ludogorets Prediction

2.35 for the hosts to win is not tremendous value, but it is still good enough for a team that desperately needs all three points and will have the full support of dedicated fans. They will also try to avenge the back-to-back defeats suffered in 2013, when Ludogorets won both legs of the Champions League qualifiers to make the group stage while sending the Serbian team home.

Bet: Partizan Belgrade @ 2.35 with Totepool