Basel will attempt to win their third game in a row when they host Slovan Bratislava in Group H of the Europa Conference League on Thursday, with kickoff at 10 pm.
This is Basel’s second consecutive season in the Europa Conference League, having been knocked out of the last-16 stage by Marseille last season.
After winning eight consecutive Swiss Super League titles between 2009 and 2017, they have recently fallen off their domestic perch, having seen Young Boys (four times) and FC Zurich lift the title since.
As such, they haven’t competed in the Champions League group stage or beyond since and may view the Europa Conference League as a more realistic trophy that they can challenge for in any case.
Meanwhile, in Slovakia, the country’s most successful team, Slovan Bratislava, has won the Fortuna Liga for four successive seasons under former national team boss Vladimir Weiss.
They are currently top of the table with 26 points from 11 games, four points ahead of nearest rivals Zilina.
In Europe, however, they have still failed to progress from the group stages of any competition in their history. Their most notable achievement remains the 3-2 win against Barcelona in the 1968-69 Cup Winners’ Cup final.
FC Basel vs. Slovan Bratislava Head to Head
Both sides have yet to face each other, marking their first encounter. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Basel 3-2 St. Gallen
- Aarau 1-3 Basel
- Zalgiris 0-1 Basel
- Basel 5-1 Grasshopper
Away
- Slovan 3-1 Podbrezova
- Mala Maca 0-7 Bratislava
- OFK Branc 0-2 Slovan
- FC Spartak 0-0 Slovan
FC Basel Team News
Riccardo Calafiori, Sergio Lopez, Yannick Marchand, Emmanuel Essiam, and Anton Kade are injured for Basel’s match against St Gallen on Thursday. After a closely-fought 3-2 win against St Gallen at the weekend, club coach Raphael Wicky may look to make a few changes, with Liam Millar expected to receive game time from the start.
Slovan Bratislava Team News
Meanwhile, Slovan Bratislava will be without Michal Sulla due to a long-term cruciate ligament injury. Jaba Kankava is suspended after his dismissal in the final qualifying round, while Juraj Kucka is set to start midfield. Vladimir Weiss will hope for minutes from the bench.
Prediction and Odds
Slovan Bratislava will look to frustrate Basel and keep the game tight on Thursday, but the home side should win, given their superior quality.
- Home Win
- Both Teams to Score
- Goals Under 3.5
