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Haka and the Crusaders meet in the first leg of the Europa League qualifier on Thursday (13 July).
The hosts were eliminated 2-2 at home by Inter Turku in the league last weekend. All four goals were scored in the first half, with Stavros Zarokostas scoring a brace for Haka to help them come from behind twice.
Meanwhile, the Crusaders began their new campaign by winning the Northern Ireland Charity Shield. Second half goals from Garlarth O’Rourke and James Tylan sealed the victory.
Haka booked their place in the Conference League play-offs after finishing runners-up in the Finnish Veikkausliiga Championship. Crusaders’ 4–0 victory over Ballymena in the Northern Ireland Cup final saw them through.
The winner of this tie will face Rosenberg in the second qualifying round.
Hakka vs. Crusaders head-to-head and key figures
- This will be the first meeting between the two sides.
- Haka has gone on a ten match winless streak across competitions, losing six.
- Five of the Crusaders’ last six competitive matches have yielded at least three goals.
- Haka’s last nine home matches across competitions have scored goals from both ends.
- Crusaders are unbeaten in seven away matches, drawing five.
- Haka have drawn seven of their last eight home matches across competitions, including the last four.
- Haka competed in Europe for the first time since 2008.
Anticipate Hakka vs. Crusaders
Haka has struggled for consistency in recent months and has gone ten matches without a win across competitions. This lack of confidence could be detrimental to their chances of success in their first continental campaign in over a decade.
Meanwhile, the Crusaders will be in a confident mood, having won the Charity Shield at the beginning of the month. Haka showed a penchant for tying in home matches, while Crusaders also shared the spoils in most of their away matches.
Haka enters the game as a minor favourite, but their form does not suggest that they can take advantage of their home ground. Expect the two sides to cancel each other out in a low-scoring draw.
prediction: So one to one Crusaders
Haka vs Crusaders betting tips
Tip 1 – The result: a drawing
Tip 2 – Both teams to score
Tip 3 – Less than 2.5 goals
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