Shooting Stars SC - Abia Warriors predictions and free betting tips [02/06/2024]

On Sunday, 2 June, in the 34th round of the Nigerian Premier League, Shooting Stars will host Abia Warriors.

Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars continue to fight for the championship title and are currently seven points behind the leading Enugu. The team is in fourth place in the overall standings, having accumulated 53 points after 33 rounds, scoring 41 goals and conceding 31. Last week, the hosts narrowly lost to El Kanemi in the round of 16 of the national cup, with Umar scoring the only goal.

It's important to note that the blue-whites have recently hit a rough patch, securing only two victories in their last five matches across all competitions, failing to score in two of those games. The hosts are only ninth in the overall standings in terms of points earned at home (41 in 16 matches).

Abia Warriors

Abia Warriors have different goals for the remainder of the season, namely securing their place in the elite division. Currently, the team is in 12th place in the overall standings, with 44 points. The gap from the relegation zone is just four points, so losing points is not an option. Last week, the visitors succeeded in the round of 16 of the Nigerian Cup, defeating Kwara 1:2 after a penalty shootout.

In the first half, goals were exchanged by Ogbole and Pascal, after which the spectators saw no more goals. It is important to note that Abia performs very poorly on the road, being third from the bottom in the overall standings for points earned away (only 4 points in 16 matches, 14 goals scored, 32 conceded).

Head-to-Head

The first-round meeting in December ended with a victory for Abia with a score of 3:2. However, in the history of encounters, the red-whites have never beaten Shooting Stars away.

Match Prediction: Shooting Stars vs Abia Warriors

Both teams are in dire need of points, but Abia Warriors' away results this season do not bode well for the visitors. Meanwhile, the hosts are fighting for the championship title and cannot afford a slip-up, as they are already seven points behind the top spot. My prediction is a victory for the favourites with a -1 handicap.