European NAP: Capital club to cement their place at the top

EUROPEAN football fanatic Mark O'Haire (@MarkOHaire) is heading to Switzerland for his next best bet from the continent.

Young Boys v FC Zurich | Sunday 17th February 2019, 15:00

Young Boys broke Basel’s eight-year domination of the Swiss Super League in 2017/18, securing an unexpected first title triumph since 1986 under Adi Hutter.

Hutter was pinched by Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer with Gerardo Seoane taking up the position following an impressive stint with Luzern. And the 40-year-old has continued the fine work of his predecessor by guiding Young Boys to an almost unblemished start.

Twenty games into the current campaign, the Bern club 19 points clear having registered W17-D2-L1. Last weekend Young Boys surprisingly dropped points in a 1-1 draw at Thun, but a return home to their Stade de Suisse base should see a return to the standard.

Young Boys phenomenal home record

YBB have pocketed W24-D2-L2 on home soil since the start of last season in Super League showdowns. The hosts have scored at least twice in 23/28 (82%) and seen Over 1.5 Goals land in all bar three. Such overwhelming trends make the 7/10 (Ladbrokes) available on Young Boys winning alongside Over 1.5 Goals too good to turn down.

This term alone, Seoane’s side have notched twice or more in 18 of their 20 league outings, whilst in front of their home supporters the hosts are averaging 3.10 goals per-game. Despite these ridiculously strong records, Young Boys have only silenced two of their 12 domestic opponents since mid-September, a slight source of encouragement to Zurich.

Zurich likely to come unstuck in the capital

Zurich concluded their first season back in the top-flight with a very respectable fourth-placed finish, as well as a shock cup triumph over Young Boys. Former national team left-back Ludovic Magnin has received plenty of plaudits for his fine work with the club, that’s also included Europa League progression to the knockout stages.

However, do their upward trajectory, Zurich are facing the might of Napoli in Europe on Thursday night, meaning preparation will be far from ideal for a trip to the all-conquering table-toppers. Having already been beaten in half of their 10 road trips – leaking 2.10 goals per-game on average – and a W0-D1-L4 return at top-five teams, they’re easily opposed.

On their travels, Zurich have crossed the Over 1.5 Goals whitewash in nine of their 10 tussles and therefore the conditions seem well set-up for a repeat on Sunday afternoon as they head for the capital.

Take the 7/10 (Ladbrokes) whilst you can. Alternatively, dip into Bet365's Bet Builder where Young Boys to win and Young Boys to score Over 1.5 Goals is 8/11, effectively the same selection.