St. Etienne-Werder
18.03 20:30
Saint Etienne will be looking to overturn a narrow deficit from the first leg as Werder won the first match 1:0. Les Verts have no choice but to attack from the start, while the Germans always play attacking football. Thus, we are in for a very exciting match.
Les Verts lost the first European match after 27 years
Saint Etienne are doing extremely well in Europe this season, but their league campaign is a big disappointment. Even though they have one of the best teams in France, Les Verts are currently in the relegation zone, and they face a difficult relegation fight. The arrival of Alain Perrin did improve the atmosphere in the squad and the team started playing better but they were unable to make a good league run that would have helped them escape the dangerous zone. However, they were more than impressive in Europe and easily qualified for the knockout rounds. They produced a real shock by beating Olympiakos in both legs, scoring five goals in the process. Then came the first leg against Werder, where they were not that good and lost the match 1:0, even though both teams had created plenty of good chances to score. With strikers like Gomis, Ilan and Mirallas, Les Verts should be able to break Werder’s defence, but they are unlikely to keep a clean sheet as Werder are a good attacking side and they have plenty of attacking potential as well. Coach Alain Perrin will have Tavlaridis and Sall back after suspension, while Monsoreau has recovered from injury. However, Matuidi and Dernis are injury doubts, while Perrin and Landrin remain long-term absentees.
Werder are back in scoring form
This season looked like it was going to turn into utter disappointment for the team from Bremen as they couldn’t find their form in the first part to the season. They allowed the leading teams to create a big advantage and are now struggling even to ensure the European qualification. Werder had plenty of problems in Europe as well, as they finished third in their Champions League group and thus continued the campaign in the UEFA Cup. However, they were 2:0 down in the second leg against Milan, after the first leg had finished 0:0 and at that moment it seemed as though that was the end of the road for Werder. However, they produced a great comeback and managed to qualify for the next round on away goals. That game was a big boost for the players’ morale and they continued with great results ever since. After beating St Etienne in the first leg, they trashed Stuttgart at home 4:0 and showed that they were back in the scoring form. They will definitely not be concentrated on defence in France but will rather be looking to score an away goal that would give them big advantage. Coach Thomas Schaaf will not be able to count on suspended Baumann but Ozil has recovered from injury and he will start this match.
Betting verdict
Saint Etienne have no choice but to attack from the start and they should be able to score, considering their attacking potential. Werder always play attacking football and they will try to score an away goal rather than concentrating on defence. Therefore, over 2.5 goals looks like a good bet.
Tip: Over 2.5 goals, Odds 2.05
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