- 1 Viktoria Plzeň vs Red Star Belgrade: three goals to claw back and barely any room for error
- 2 Viktoria Plzeň: a bad start to the season and a deficit that looks too big
- 3 Red Star: a new coach and an attack that has clicked again
- 4 Europa League prediction Viktoria Plzeň vs Red Star Belgrade
- 5 First, a word on our free tips
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Viktoria Plzeň vs Red Star Belgrade: three goals to claw back and barely any room for error 
After a convincing 3-0 win at Rajko Mitic Stadium on August 20, Red Star Belgrade have all but wrapped up this Europa League playoff. It is a mountain for Viktoria Plzen to climb before the second leg on Thursday, August 27 (19:00) at the Doosan Arena.
For the Czechs, it feels like a miracle job: somehow wipe out a three-goal deficit against a Serbian side full of confidence and on a run of three straight league wins.
And Plzen only even reached this stage because of a twist of fate. UEFA handed them a place after MFK Karvina were kicked out over match-fixing, sending the club straight into the playoff round and sparing them four qualifying ties. But the shortcut has not done much for their sharpness: with just one win from their first four league games, the Czechs are badly short on rhythm and belief.
Red Star, though, arrive with their own frustrations to burn off. The Serbian club had its sights set on the Champions League, only to be dumped out by Hapoel Beer-Sheva 3-0 on aggregate in the third qualifying round.
That exit brought an immediate change in the dugout. Dejan Stankovic stepped down and was replaced in August 2026 by Spaniard Albert Riera.
The Serbian side know this competition well after playing in it last season. They finished 15th in the league phase with 14 points from eight matches before going out to Lille in the playoffs.
The format leaves only one way through for both clubs. The winner reaches the Europa League league phase; the loser drops into the Conference League.
The draw for the Europa League league phase is set for Friday, August 28, so both teams will know their fate the day after this second leg.
Viktoria Plzeň: a bad start to the season and a deficit that looks too big 
Plzen have not been champions of the Czech Republic since 2022. Martin Hysky’s side have stumbled through the opening weeks of the 2026-27 campaign, which helps explain what happened in Belgrade.
The league numbers tell the story. Three games without a win to start the season, two draws and a defeat, before finally scraping a first victory.
That win came against bottom side FC Zlin and it was hardly convincing, ending 3-2. Shipping two goals against the league’s whipping boys says plenty about the current level at the back.
The one bright spot is Christophe Kabango. The 22-year-old forward has scored three goals in four league matches, including a penalty against Zlin.
Matej Vydra brings the European experience this squad badly lacks. The veteran has been a regular in continental matches for the club over several seasons.
The issue is structural rather than individual. A side that can concede twice against last place in its league is hardly built to keep Red Star out while scoring three itself.
The schedule is no help either. Plzen are entering Europe this summer without the match tempo their opponents have built up through the qualifying rounds.
The Doosan Arena has not hosted a European tie of this size for several seasons. The home crowd will make noise, but the gap in quality is still huge.
Hysky is working with a squad that has not had time to build momentum. Missing those four qualifying matches after the UEFA reprieve has also left the group short of international sharpness.
Try it for $0.99.
Red Star: a new coach and an attack that has clicked again 
Crvena Zvezda won their ninth straight Serbian title last season. That domestic consistency has carried into the new campaign.
Three wins from three in the Super Liga, with 10 goals scored and just one conceded. Since Albert Riera arrived, the attack has been flying.
Their European run started strongly enough before going off the rails. A 9-0 aggregate hammering of Larne in July was followed by a 3-0 aggregate defeat to Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
That slip cost Dejan Stankovic his job. Riera inherited a wounded squad, and the 3-0 first-leg win over Plzen looks like a proper response.
The midfield was reshaped out of necessity in the first leg. Mohamed Abu Fani was suspended after his red card against Hapoel, leaving Rade Krunic and Timi Max Elsnik to form the double pivot.
Up front, Marko Arnautovic leads the line with Bruno Duarte and Osman Bukari providing support from the flanks. Jay Enem, who was taken off at half-time in the defeat to Hapoel, offers another option.
The second-leg situation lets Riera manage his squad. With a three-goal cushion, he can rest key men and still field a side comfortably stronger than Plzen.
The switch from Stankovic to Riera has had an immediate impact. The 3-0 first-leg win over Plzen confirmed the bounce already showing in the league.
Riera also knows central European football well, having coached Celje before moving to Eintracht Frankfurt midway through last season. That experience in Czech and Slovenian football is no small thing ahead of this trip to Plzen.
Likely Viktoria Plzeň line-up: Not available at time of publication.
Likely “Crvena Zvezda” Red Star Belgrade line-up: Not available at time of publication.
Europa League prediction Viktoria Plzeň vs Red Star Belgrade
Our prediction: Under 2.5 goals in the match
The 3-0 first-leg result has sucked most of the tension out of this tie. Red Star have no real reason to go chasing it, and they should control the pace, which naturally cuts down the number of chances.
As for Plzen, the attacking output just is not there. One win from four league games and an attack that leans almost entirely on Christophe Kabango tells its own story.
One side in control, the other short on ideas: under 2.5 goals is the bet that fits the picture.
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
_________
First, a word on our free tips
- What we publish on mathodds is analysis, nothing more. We are sharing an opinion, a reading of the moment, but never a guarantee. Sport is still sport: unpredictable. A red card, an injury, a freak goal out of nowhere… and the script changes completely.
- Let’s be clear: there is no risk-free bet. Even when something looks “obvious”, it really is not. And yes, that means you can lose. In fact, at some point, you will.
- The best approach is to stay sensible. Bet small, set a budget and stick to it. Do not touch money you need to live. And above all: do not chase losses, because that rarely ends well.
- A bet should stay a bit of fun, not a job or a source of income. If it starts taking up too much space in your life, makes you angry or puts you under pressure, take a break. And if needed, speak to a specialist group. That is what they are there for.
- In the end, the responsibility is yours. Reading our content means accepting that risk exists and will never go away, no matter how good the analysis is.
- Important reminder: betting is forbidden for minors and must follow the law in your country. Gambling can spiral fast (money losses, family tension, addiction). Need Help? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. In the UK? Visit https://www.gambleaware.org/https://www.gambleaware.org/.
No commitment from us
Our tips are not a contract. They have no legal force. Put simply: you cannot use them to demand anything if a bet loses.
Information changes
A prediction is always based on what we know at the time it is written. But in the meantime, a line-up changes, as with Viktoria Plzen for example, a player gets injured, the weather turns… and the analysis can quickly be outdated. We cannot be held responsible for that.
Your responsibility
Before you bet, just check that betting is legal where you live. If it is not, that is your responsibility, not ours.
Responsible gambling first
We cannot say it enough: gamble in moderation. If you are struggling to keep control, do not wait to get help. We cannot be responsible for compulsive or excessive use of the information published on the site.
Legal age
mathodds content is for adults only. By browsing here, you confirm that you are old enough by law to gamble.
About the images…
The images and logos of Viktoria Plzen and Red Star Belgrade shown on mathodds, including those linked to the Europa League, are only there to illustrate our articles. They do not mean we have any official link with a federation or sports body, and we claim no rights over them.
Those rights belong to the original creators. If, despite our care, an image causes an issue, contact us: it will be removed without delay.
Our only aim with these images is to make the reading more enjoyable. Nothing more. No commercial gain, no taking credit for someone else’s work.
Leave a Reply