Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
The Austrian Championship play-off semifinal for a spot in the Conference League will take place on Monday evening at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz, where the local side LASK will host Hartberg. Here’s a value bet on the outcome of this clash with attractive odds.
Match preview
LASK put on a strong showing in the relegation group, deservedly finishing at the top of the table. The gap between them and second-placed Hartberg was a solid seven points, and they finished a full 18 points ahead of ninth-placed Grazer.
However, after securing first place and a play-off spot, LASK eased off and failed to win any of their last three matches. In the final round, the club hosted Altach and settled for a 0-0 draw, after previously losing 0-1 away to Grazer.
Hartberg, meanwhile, collected 31 points over 32 rounds, which was enough to secure second place in the relegation group. The team finished at least 11 points clear of their closest rivals, allowing them to calmly prepare for the play-offs in the closing stages of the championship.
Interestingly, in contrast to their play-off opponents, Hartberg maintained their focus and went unbeaten in their last four matches, recording three wins and one draw. Most notably, on the final matchday, Hartberg claimed a 1-0 away victory over Austria Klagenfurt.
Probable lineups
- LASK: Laval T., Cisse M., Sülzner M., Boateng J., Jovicic B., Sanogo M., Lubic I., Bogarde M., Kane N., Lang K., Adeniran S.
- Hartberg: Maric L., Komposch P., Karatmanic M., Hofer R., Kovacevic D., Prokop D., Markus B., Diarra Y., Pfeifer M., Havel E., Huskovic M.
Match facts and head-to-head
- This season, LASK defeated Hartberg twice away, but the home fixtures ended in draws
- The "Under 2.5 goals" bet landed in two of the five matches
- The "Both teams to score" bet was successful in three of the five encounters
Prediction
Bookmakers are siding with LASK, offering odds of around 1.79 for a home win. We believe this match will be tightly contested, so don’t expect a goal fest. Our pick: "Under 3.0 goals" at odds of 1.60.
