Crvena Zvezda vs Lech prediction, H2H and probable line-ups - August 12, 2025
One of the second-leg matches of the Champions League third qualifying round will take place on Tuesday at the Rajko Mitić Stadium in Belgrade, where local side Crvena Zvezda hosts Polish outfit Lech. In the first leg, the Serbian team secured a 3-1 away victory, putting them on the brink of qualification for the playoff stage. I’m backing a bet on goals in this clash, with strong chances of success.
Match preview
Vladan Milojević’s team confidently handled business in the opening encounter, scoring three times on the road to claim a comfortable lead. The Serbs continue to impress with their attacking output in the Champions League — a streak of nine consecutive matches with goals speaks volumes. However, their defense remains a weak spot: in 9 of their last 11 tournament games, Zvezda failed to keep a clean sheet, which could be a factor at home as well.
At home in the UCL, the Belgrade side has been inconsistent: just two wins in their last ten main-time fixtures, but they almost always find the net. The passionate crowd at Rajko Mitić adds a spark to their attacking play, and the team is unlikely to sit back and defend their lead — their style is all about pressing from the start.
The Poles gifted goals to their opponents in the first match, but also showed they can breach Zvezda’s defense. Lech are on a powerful run of high-scoring games in European competition (12 in a row), and even away from home they rarely fail to score. To progress, they’ll need at least two goals here — which means Lech will have to go on the front foot right from kickoff.
Lech have looked confident on the road: 7 of their last 8 away games in European competition ended without defeat in regular time. The problem is their defense is shaky — conceding in 14 of those 17 matches, sometimes two or more per game. If they go all-out attack, the risks at the back will only increase.
Probable line-ups
- Crvena Zvezda: Mateus – Sol Yeon U, Miloš Veljković, Rodrigaõ, Nair Tiknizyan – Mirko Ivanić, Felicio Milson, Rade Krunić, Timi Elšnik – Bruno Duarte, Sheriff Ndiaye.
- Lech: Bartosz Mrozek – Antonio Milić, Joel Pereira, João Bragança Moutinho, Mateusz Skrzypczak – Antoni Kozubal, Leo Bengtsson, Filip Jagiełło – Ali Gholizadeh, Mikael Ishak, Luis Palma.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Crvena Zvezda are unbeaten in their last 4 Champions League matches.
- Lech have scored in 9 of their last 10 away games in European competition.
- The first leg between these teams produced 4 goals.
Prediction
Both teams play attacking football, and their recent European scoring records suggest a repeat of the high-scoring first leg. Zvezda will want to score early to settle the tie, while Lech are forced to take risks and push forward in numbers. In this scenario, it’s hard to see either defense holding firm. Our tip: Both teams to score at odds of 1.72.
