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Sabah host St Patrick's Athletic at the Bank Respublika Arena on Thursday for the second leg of their clash in the Europa Conference League third qualifying round. The Azeri side are currently trailing 1-0 in the tie following a narrow defeat in Dublin last week.
After suviving an almighty scare against Maccabi Haifa in the last round, which saw them concede six times at home before prevailing on penalties, Sabah knew they had to put on an improved defensive show here to avoid another loss.
However, their resistence was broken in the 35th minute when Romal Palmer struck for the St. Patrick's. The Owls then saw their evening go from bad to worse after Ivan Lepinjica was sent off just seven minutes into the restart.
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On the other hand, St Patrick's Athletic are just a draw away from reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2009. The Irish side are looking to secure European football for the first time since reaching the 2008-09 UEFA Cup first round.
Sabah vs St Patrick's Athletic Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This is only the second official meeting between the sides in history.
- St Patrick's Athletic forward Romal Palmer is looking to score in their third consecutive match, having struck against Vaduz in the second leg of the last round and then against Sabah in their first leg.
- After having started their campaign with a 3-0 loss to Derry City in the FAI Cup, St Patrick's Athletic are unbeaten in their next five official matches.
- Sabah have failed to win their last four official games, losing thrice. They've also failed to score in their most recent two defeats.
- Of their last 18 games away from home in Europe, the Athletic have won just once - a 1-0 win against CSKA Sofia in the third qualifying round of the 2022-23 Europa Conference League.
Sabah vs St Patrick's Athletic Prediction
Sabah have a narrow deficit to overcome but St Patrick's Athletic are in great shape right now.
The Irish side have quickly shrugged off their early-season woes to find their best form and produce an encouraging run. We expect them to hold their stuttering hosts to a stalemate and reach the playoffs on aggregate.
Prediction: Sabah 1-1 St Patrick's Athletic
Sabah vs St Patrick's Athletic Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw (St Patrick's Athletic to progress on aggregate)
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5 goals
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: Yes
