Crusaders vs Coleraine
, KO: 19:45 Oct 4, 2021, Seaview
Crusaders host Coleraine in a Northern Irish Premiership fixture at Seaview with both teams looking to close the gap on leaders Cliftonville. Both clubs have made similar starts to the season and look set for a closely fought encounter but Crusaders often do their best work at home and should have the edge here.
Crusaders claimed a 3-0 victory over Glentoran in their previous Premiership fixture. They took an early lead through Adam Lecky while second half goals from Ben Kennedy and Aidan Wilson wrapped up a comfortable win.
Stephen Baxter's men have made a solid start to the season with just one defeat from their opening five matches. They are fifth on the table, seven points behind leaders Cliftonville and still have a game in hand.
Crusaders have plenty of quality going forward and can also count a 4-0 victory over Portadown among their results this season. They are also usually solid at the back and have kept four clean sheets in their last five matches across all competitions.
Coleraine were also victorious last time out in the Premiership as they saw off Ballymena United 3-0. They went into the break in the lead thanks to an effort from Matthew Shevlin while Eoin Bradley and Cathair Friel added further goals after the break.
Oran Kearney's men are fourth on the table, level on 10 points with Crusaders having made a similar start to the season with their hosts. They have played a game more than their rivals and have already lost twice this season with both defeats coming away from home.
While Coleraine have made a similar start to Crusaders, they have not been as solid at the back, particularly on the road. They have conceded seven goals in their five away matches this season, including four in a 4-2 defeat at Larne.
How the bookies view it
The bookies are split on this one with Crusaders priced at 6/4 by betway to win while a victory for Coleraine is valued at 8/5 by BetVictor. A draw is set at odds of 5/2 by Sporting Index.
Head to head
Crusaders have a 41-33 advantage with 20 draws from 94 previous matches against Coleraine. Both teams won the away fixture last season with both matches ending 1-0.
Players to watch
Ben Kennedy and Adam Lecky should partner in attack for Crusaders and both men have two goals each. The hosts have opened the scoring in their last four Premiership matches and with both men leading the line, that run could be tipped to continue at 19/20 with betway.
Crusaders are also solid at the back with Billy Joe Burns and Josh Robinson often featuring in defence. They have kept clean sheets in four of their last five matches and could be set for a repeat at 14/5 with BoyleSport.
Anything else catch the eye?
There has been BTTS NO in four of the last five matches between Crusaders and Coleraine and that run could be tipped to continue at 6/4 with BetVictor. Crusaders have won to nil in four of their last five matches and could be tipped for a similar result at 4/1 with Paddy Power.
This match between Crusaders and Coleraine will be played on Oct 4, 2021 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Crusaders vs Coleraine prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
