Young Boys vs Ludogorets: Europa League Pick & Prediction

Two domestic giants looking to bounce back from disappointing results will meet in Europa League action on Thursday night, October 23rd, as Young Boys take on Ludogorets Razgrad at the Wankdorf Stadium inBern. Both sides have three points from their opening two league-phase games and will be aiming to strengthen their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.

Head-to-Head History (H2H: Young Boys vs Ludogorets)

This will be the first competitive meeting between Young Boys and Ludogorets Razgrad, though the two sides met in a mid-season friendly in Antalya back in January. On that occasion, the Bulgarian champions earned a narrow 1-0 win courtesy of a late strike from Brazilian winger Caio Vidal.

Young Boys – Current Form and Team News

Young Boys were handed a rare home setback last weekend, losing 2-1 to St. Gallen in the Swiss Super League – their first top-flight defeat at the Wankdorf Stadium in over a year. The result followed a heavy 5-0 loss to Lausanne-Sport earlier this month, raising questions about consistency in Giorgio Contini’s camp.

Still, the Bern outfit have looked competitive in Europe so far. After a rough 4-1 defeat to Panathinaikos in their Europa League opener, they quickly bounced back with an impressive 2-0 away victory over FCSB in Bucharest.

With a challenging run of domestic fixtures ahead, Contini knows his side must regain rhythm quickly. He’s expected to tweak his starting XI slightly, with Chris Bedia in line to replace Sergio Cordova in attack. The Ivorian forward, who came off the bench to score against St. Gallen, has been in sensational form domestically – six goals in his last five league matches and 10 in 15 appearances overall. Though Bedia is yet to score in the Europa League proper, his decisive goals in the playoff round against Slovan Bratislava underline his importance.

Joel Monteiro and Alan Virginius are also pushing for starts, although it remains unlikely that Contini will sacrifice one of his key figures, Christian Fassnacht. As a result, Darian Males could be the one to drop to the bench to make room for either of the two.

Young Boys remain without Alvyn Sanches and Facinet Conte, who are sidelined with ACL injuries. Gregory Wüthrich, Mats Seiler, Rhodri Smith are all long-term absentees and remain unavailable for selection.

Ludogorets Razgrad – Current Form and Team News

Ludogorets head into their third Europa League proper match following a 1-1 home draw with Spartak Varna, a result that extended their winless run to three matches in all competitions. Although Petar Stanic’s early second-half goal looked like a moment to inspire the reigning champions, it was nothing more than salvaging a point, and it clearly wasn’t enough to mask the team’s recent struggles – just one goal scored across those three games.

The draw was far from a positive outcome for Rui Mota’s side, who look far from their dominant best. The surprise win away at Malmo to start the Europa League proper campaign briefly lifted the mood, but that was quickly followed by a 2-0 home defeat to Real Betis, exposing defensive fragility. In the Bulgarian First League, Ludogorets remain unbeaten (6-5-0) yet trail leaders Levski Sofia by six points, though they have a game in hand.

Summer signing Joel Andersson picked up an injury during the team’s win over Montana last month. The experienced Swedish international made the bench against Spartak Varna but remains a doubt for Thursday, so Son is expected to continue at right-back.

Meanwhile, Aguibou Camara and Switzerland striker Kwadwo Duah are both sidelined through injury, Edvin Kurtulus misses out again, and Georgi Terziev continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament problem.

Away form remains a major concern – the Eagles have failed to win five of their last six away matches (three draws, two defeats), including qualifying defeats at Ferencvaros and Shkendija in the summer. Despite the victory in Malmo last month, Ludogorets’ performances away from Razgrad hardly inspire confidence heading into one of Europe’s toughest artificial pitches at the Wankdorf.

Tactical Outlook

Giorgio Contini’s Young Boys will likely adopt their fluid 4-4-2/4-2-3-1 hybrid, emphasizing wing play and pressing transitions. Expect Fassnacht and either Virginius or Monteiro to stretch Ludogorets’ backline, while Bedia serves as a focal point in the box. Furthermore, Contini may encourage his full-backs to overlap, targeting Ludogorets’ flanks.

On the other hand, Rui Mota’s Eagles will likely rely on a more compact setup, with Pedro Naressi and Filip Kaloc covering the back four while looking to release Caio Vidal and Rick Bile on counter-attacks. The key will be managing Young Boys’ pressing intensity and the rapid pace of transitions on the artificial turf.

Possible Starting Lineups of Young Boys and Ludogorets Razgrad

Young Boys: Marvin Keller – Saidy Janko, Tanguy Zoukrou, Loris Benito, Jaouen Hadjam – Edimilson Fernandes, Rayan Raveloson – Christian Fassnacht, Armin Gigovic, Alan Virginius – Chris Bedia. (4-2-3-1)

Ludogorets Razgrad: Sergio Padt – Anton Nedyalkov, Olivier Verdon, Dinis Almeida, Son – Pedro Naressi, Filip Kaloc – Caio Vidal, Petar Stanic, Erick Marcus – Erick Bile. (4-2-3-1)

Young Boys vs Ludogorets Betting Odds and Prediction

Young Boys are -111 favorites to return to winning ways at home, while Ludogorets Razgrad are priced at +290 to spring an upset on Swiss soil. Meanwhile, according to the latest betting odds from EveryGame, a draw is available at +265.

The odds lean in favor of the hosts – and for good reason. Despite recent inconsistencies, Young Boys’ attacking depth and home advantage on the artificial pitch should prove decisive against a Ludogorets side lacking sharpness and confidence. The Bulgarian champions have struggled to create clear-cut chances recently, and their away record in Europe remains underwhelming.

Both sides are desperate for a result, but Young Boys appear better equipped to capitalize on the occasion and climb the Europa League standings.

Young Boys vs Ludogorets Best Bet: Young Boys to Win (-111 at EveryGame for 7/10 Units)