Hamrun Spartans vs Maccabi Haifa FC Prediction & Betting Tips - Champions League

Prediction published on 09/07/2023, 16:38  by Joseph King | Modified on 09/07/2023 at 16:38 in Champions League Predictions

The Champions League first qualifying round sees Maltese champions Hamrun Spartans hosting Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa for this first leg clash. Both of these teams find themselves in the offseason with the start of their 2023/24 campaigns still over a month or two away. Hamrun were runaway champions in the 2022/23 season, winning the Maltese Premier League by a 19-point margin and losing only once in 26 matches. A large part of their success was down to their absolutely dominant form on home soil. The Spartans were unbeaten at home in the league, winning 12 of their 13 fixtures and drawing the other. In addition to their near faultless record, Hamrun would also go on to concede only once at the Victor Tedesco Stadium en route to amassing a home goal differential of +21. They’ve played in only one friendly match since the end of the previous season where they would win 2-0 over Birkirkara at the beginning of the month.

Maccabi Haifa enter this Champions League qualifier fresh off of securing their third consecutive Israeli Premier League title. They finished the season on a streak of three straight wins with 13 goals scored that would secure the league trophy by a four point margin. Maccabi Haifa weren’t the steadiest of teams when playing away from home last season and there are signs that it has carried over into the new campaign. The Greens lost their two most recent friendly matches which were both away from home. The latest was a 1-0 loss to Austrian second division side St. Polten, a club with a similar squad market value to Hamrun Spartans. Maccabi Haifa have played in five friendly matches since the end of the 2022/23 league season, three of which ended in defeat.