- Red Star Belgrade have 10 goals across their last five games, with Bruno Duarte bagging four of them.
- Larne's Matthew Lusty has found his shooting boots across the past five games, scoring four times.
- This is a clash of two very different systems: Red Star are a possession-based side with overloads and a counter-press, while Larne have a compact setup and a very clear game plan.
Red Star are the red hot favourites
Red Star are the red-hot favourites to qualify from this UEFA Champions League Qualification 2026 clash following their dominant 4-0 victory away to Larne last week and there is little doubt that they will be successful in booking a spot in the second round. The Serbian giants have won back-to-back games heading into Wednesday's clash and their form across their last five matches is two wins, one draw and two defeats.
In their 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 setup, Dejan Stankovic's men will try to dictate the play and they have certainly played with authority since the Serbian legend took the reins. However, they are a fragile side at times and won't always get things all their own way in this tie, that much is for sure.
Across all competitions, Red Star have played 10 games and they've won five, drawn two and lost three, which is a solid, if not spectacular record.
Larne face an uphill task
Larne have found their own momentum as they enter this game and they've won three of their last five, so this won't be a walk in the park for Red Star by any means. Gary Haveron has got his team playing in a very compact way and they have been defensively sound in 5-3-2 or 4-4-2, always staying narrow, protecting the middle and then hunting for a set-piece or transition opportunity.
They can hurt Red Star with their movement, and in Dan Bent, they have a real outlet in UEFA Champions League Qualification 2026, having scored one goal in his three appearances in the competition. Across all comps, they have played 10 times since the end of June, winning six, drawing one and losing three, which is another solid, if not exceptional run of results.
Red Star to win a tight encounter
The market has a fairly accurate measure of the odds here and I don't think it's worth backing Red Star, however, there are a few ways to skin this cat.
The Under 2.5 goals & BTTS-No market appeals, as Red Star average 3.40 goals scored and 2.00 goals conceded across their last five home games in all competitions, while Larne have conceded just 0.40 goals per-game away from home.
Red Star's Bruno Duarte is their danger man in UEFA Champions League Qualification 2026 having bagged two goals in one appearance and he can add to that tally on Wednesday.
