Europa League Group J qualification hopefuls Zorya travel to Germany to take on Hertha Berlin, who are without a win in the competition to date. The Ukrainian side narrowly came out on top when the pair met just last week, however the reverse fixture is expected to be just as tight. German Bundesliga strugglers Hertha Berlin welcome Zorya to the Olympiastadion on Thursday, with the home side requiring thee points if they are to have any hope of making it through Group J.
Champions League – Olympiastadion, Berlin – Thursday 2nd November – 21:05 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 7/2 at Ladbrokes |
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Hertha Berlin
Zorya LuhanskHowever, with their opponents having already demonstrated that they are a match for most teams at this level, it could well be a tough evenings work for Pál Dárdai’s men. However, with a variety of appealing betting markets surrounding the encounter, it is well worth checking out all the team news for the two teams, as well as our top betting tip.
Hertha Berlin Team News & Form
Hertha’s only positive result in the Europa League so far was a goalless draw with Athletic Bilbao on the opening week of the competition, with defeats against Oestersunds and Zorya leaving them rock-bottom of the standings. Hertha’s poor form is not just in Europe however, with their cup defeat to FC Cologne in midweek demonstrating that they are a team lacking in confidence at present. Former Chelsea man Salomon Kalou will undoubtedly be hoping to lead a resurgence, starting against Zorya, while the likes of Vedad Ibišević and Alexander Esswein also have the talent to cause the Ukrainian’s problems in the final third of the field.
Zorya Team News & Form
Zorya recovered well from an opening defeat to Oestersunds to give themselves a chance of qualifying for the knockout phase of the competition, with wins over both Athletic Bilbao and Hertha showing their qualities. Yuriy Vernydub’s side may be struggling in their domestic league, with their recent 5-2 away win at Illychivets being just their fourth win of the campaign, however their European form has been impressive. Brazilian midfielder Silas scored the opening goal against Hertha last week and is set to start once again for the visitors, while the experience of Captain Mykyta Kamenyuka could also be vital, with the veteran midfielder having over 200 appearances for the club to his name.
Head to Head
Before last week’s clash in the Ukraine, where the Zorya scored a second-half winner to claim a 2-1 success, the two teams had never previously met in a competitive fixture. As a result, few conclusions can be made ahead of the reverse fixture.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Despite the result between the two clubs last week, their home advantage means that it is Hertha Berlin who are the favourites for victory with the majority of bookmakers. The home side can be backed at odds of 4/9 with Skybet, while Ladbrokes offers the Ukrainian underdogs odds of 13/2.
Top Betting Tip
Our top betting tip for the match is to bet on both teams to score during the 90 minutes in Germany, which can be backed at odds of 1/1 at William Hill.