AIK Stockholm vs NK Maribor | Betting Tip, Prediction & Odds (31.07.2019)
The second legs of the UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round will close down this Wednesday 31st July. One of the most interesting games will take place in Stockholm where AIK hosts Maribor, trying to overcome a 2-1 loss from the first leg in Slovenia.
Stockholm – Maribor
- 2019-20 UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round
- Friends Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
- Wednesday 31st July
- 18:00 UK Time
AIK Stockholm News & Form
AIK barely overcame Ararat Armenia 4-3 on aggregate in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. The Swedish champions lost the first leg on the road 2-1, but they put on a strong performance at Friends Arena to eliminate Ararat.
After the first 18 rounds of the Swedish Allsvenskan, AIK is tied with Malmo at the top of the table with 37 points and a 24:11 goal difference, riding a four-game winning streak. Striker Tarik Elyounoussi is the team’s top goalscorer with nine goals in 21 appearances in all competitions, while forward Henok Goitom is the best assist-maker with eight dishes.
NK Maribor News & Form
The Violets easily defeated Valur 5-0 on aggregate in the previous round, winning the first leg in Iceland 3-0. On the other side, they got off to a slow start in the domestic championship, earning just two points out of the first three rounds.
Maribor opened with a 1-2 loss to Triglav, while the Violets earned a couple of stalemates in the next two games including a goalless draw against ten-man Olimpija last weekend. Midfielder Rok Kronaveter leads the Violets with three goals and three assists in five appearances, while winger Dino Hotic added two goals and three dishes.
Stockholm vs Maribor Head to Head
These two teams will meet for the second time, and Maribor deservedly won the previous duel last Wednesday. The Violets had 21 shots towards AIK’s goalkeeper while keeping the ball in possession for 55% of the time. On the other side, AIK took just three shots on goal, so the Swedish champs are surely happy with a narrow loss.
Betting Odds and Predictions: Stockholm v Maribor
The bookies consider Maribor as a favourite to reach the next round, but they still back AIK to win the second leg. You can take Maribor to qualify at 4/7 odds with Bet365, while AIK is set at 5/4 odds to reach the third round. Ladbrokes offers 23/20 odds on AIK to win the second leg; a draw pays 21/10, while Maribor is a 13/5 minnow to win at Friends Arena.
Although the first leg produced three goals in the total, the bookies expect to see a tight clash in Sweden. BetVictor offers 11/8 odds on the over 2.5 goals and 8/13 odds on the under. Coral set even odds on both teams to find the net.
Our AIK Stockholm vs NK Maribor Betting Tip
AIK needs a 1-0 victory to eliminate Maribor, but if the Violets find a way to score, the hosts will need a couple of goals to force extra time. Hereof, I expect to see a patient approach on both sides of the field, but the eventual opener will be a huge gamechanger, so I would be surprised if we see fewer than two goals in the total.
Still, the odds on the over 1.5 goals are not tempting at all. Maribor dominated AIK in the first leg, and I think they are capable of scoring once at Friends Arena. AIK should also find the net in front of the home audience, so I’m backing both teams to score at even odds with Coral. The stake is huge which will hopefully affect both defenses.