Southampton prepare to battle it out against Vitesse at the St. Mary’s Stadium for the third round UEFA Europa League qualifiers first leg and the match will be a litmus test to judge the Saints’ progress this summer.
Southampton Match Betting News
As is the case every summer, Southampton have lost a couple of key players such as Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne to bigger clubs. However, Ronald Koeman is a master of rebuilding teams and the Dutchman has brought in very good replacements once again so far, which in turn means that Southampton still look a formidable side.
Now the real question for the Saints will be how they will perform in Europe and whether they will be able to deal with the exertions European football brings along with it.
Before aiming too far though, Southampton will first have to qualify for the competition and it will be easier said than done as they are handed a tricky encounter against Dutch side Vitesse, which is also one of Koeman’s former teams.
New signing Jordy Clasie will be featuring on the day while fans will also be looking forward to seeing Jay Rodriguez in action following his return from a long term injury.
Vitesse Match Betting News
Vitesse enjoyed a fantastic season last term by finishing fifth in the Dutch Eredivise and now have the chance to make their mark in the Europa League as a result.
However, the draw has not been particularly kind to them after being handed a tie against Southampton and the clash is sure to be a difficult encounter for the Dutch side.
Nonetheless, Vitesse have recruited a couple of talented young players this summer and they will surely give the Saints a run for their money.
Nathan, Lewis Baker, Danilo Pantic and Isaiah Brown are just some of the talented players Vitesse have recruited on loan from parent club Chelsea and it will be interesting to see the youngsters in action.
Southampton vs Vitesse Match Prediction
While the match has the potential to be a tricky encounter for Southampton, they are most certainly strong enough to be able to claim a comfortable victory on the day.
Match Betting Tip: HT/FT Southampton-Southampton @1.80 at Bet365
