Ballymena United FC vs Cliftonville FC Prediction: The visitors cannot afford to lose this game

In the forthcoming 9th round of the Northern Ireland Premier League, an exciting match is set to take place at Ballymena Showgrounds, featuring Ballymena United and Cliftonville. Ballymena United suffered a loss to Loughgall in their most recent league game, whereas Cliftonville comfortably defeated Crusaders. Furthermore, we anticipate a victory for Cliftonville in this upcoming encounter. Below, you'll find carefully crafted tips to heighten your anticipation for the upcoming match.

Form: LWLLL

Ballymena United has encountered difficulties since the commencement of the new season, securing just one victory from the 8 games they have played so far. Their recent league encounter against newly promoted Loughgall ended in a disappointing 1-3 defeat, despite Ballymena United initially taking the lead. Ballymena United's current situation appears to necessitate a substantial turnaround, especially when considering their overall league record, which consists of 7 losses and just one win in 8 games played.

Form: WLDLW

Cliftonville, after a string of victories, faced a setback with two losses and a draw. However, they made a strong comeback with a hard-fought and unexpected triumph over Crusaders in their most recent league match, concluding with a 0-3 victory for Cliftonville. Now, with renewed determination, they are aiming to maintain their winning form as they prepare to take on Ballymena United on Friday.

Cliftonville has achieved an impressive record of 4 wins, a draw and 2 losses out of 7 games played, accompanied by a notable total of 13 goals scored. Ben Wilson leads the team's efforts on goals with a total of 5 goals scored this season.

A critical look at their last 10 encounters produced 5 victories for Cliftonville, 3 victories for Ballymena United, and 2 draws.

Ballymena United is facing considerable challenges in the league this season, with just one victory and seven losses from their eight games played so far. On the contrary, Cliftonville is enjoying an impressive run of form, and we anticipate nothing less than a victory or a draw from them in this upcoming encounter. We do not expect Cliftonville to suffer a defeat, so our primary prediction is a win or draw for Cliftonville along with a total of over 1.5 goals.

Considering Cliftonville's excellent form, we also anticipate them scoring at least two goals in this match, with odds set at 1.62.