After three games we know a little more about the qualities of Ballymena United and Crusaders in this fresh Premiership season. Read our match preview!
Both teams should be fairly well rested for this game, as they have had some quiet days to prepare. Hopefully this will translate into lots of action on the pitch.
Ballymena United form and stats
Ballymena United's first Premiership home game here at The Showgrounds ended in defeat. Last season their home statistics were 4 wins, 3 draws and 9 defeats from 16 matches.
Ballymena faced defeat in their previous match, away at Larne (0-2). Preceding that match was a defeat to Linfield (2-3).
Some members of the home team might already be thinking of their next match, the Premiership game versus Glenavon in only three days. This game is also played here at The Showgrounds.
It's still early days, but we have some goal stats for the Ballymena United at home in the league. 2 on target and 3 scored by the opposition; from 1 match.
Crusaders form and stats
Things could have gone better for Crusaders in their Premiership away matches, but 3 points from 2 games is all right.
It might be tough going out on the road again for Crusaders, facing their second straight away game. Especially as the previous game, ended with a defeat 1-2 versus Linfield (placed 1st). That result followed a home victory 1-0 versus Cliftonville.
After this away game Crusaders return home for a Premiership game against Coleraine. That game is only three sleeps after this.
It's early days yet, but Crusaders has scored 2 and conceded 2 goals from their travels in the league so far (2 games).
Head 2 Head
Head-to-head totals (for the last ten meetings): Ballymena won three games, two matches ended with a draw and Crusaders has five wins. Over 2,5 goals / under 2,5 goals: six / fourBallymena United missing players
Crusaders missing players
| Ballymena United | Crusaders | ||||||
| Total | Home | vs | Statistics | Stat | vs | Away | Total |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | Played | P | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Won | W | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Drew | D | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | Lost | L | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | Scored | S | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | 3 | 0 | Conceded | C | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 100% | 100% | 0% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 67% | 100% | 0% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 0% | 50% | 33% |
| 33% | 100% | 0% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 0% | 50% | 33% |
| 33% | 100% | 0% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 33% | 100% | 0% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 33% | 100% | 0% | BTTS | BTTS | 0% | 50% | 33% |
| 33% | 0% | 0% | Clean Sheets | C S | 100% | 50% | 67% |
| 33% | 0% | 0% | Failed to Score | F T | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0.7 | 0 | 0 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1 | 1.5 | 2 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Red cards | R C | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | 8 | 0 | Total Shots | T S | 6 | 15 | 28 |
| 8 | 4 | 0 | Shots on Target | S O | 2 | 5 | 12 |
| 38% | 50% | 0% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 50% | 40% | 25% |
| Ballymena United | Last season | Crusaders | |||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 31 | 16 | Played | P | 15 | 31 | ||
| 7 | 4 | Won | W | 7 | 17 | ||
| 6 | 3 | Drew | D | 5 | 8 | ||
| 18 | 9 | Lost | L | 3 | 6 | ||
| 34 | 20 | Scored | S | 31 | 66 | ||
| 54 | 30 | Conceded | C | 17 | 30 | ||
| 100% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 93% | 94% | ||
| 87% | 100% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 80% | 81% | ||
| 55% | 69% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 53% | 58% | ||
| 26% | 25% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 47% | 39% | ||
| 13% | 19% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 20% | 19% | ||
| 61% | 69% | BTTS | BTTS | 53% | 45% | ||
| 10% | 6% | Clean Sheets | C S | 40% | 45% | ||
| 29% | 25% | Failed to Score | F T | 13% | 16% | ||
| 0 | 0 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1.7 | 1.6 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1.9 | 1.9 | ||
| 3 | 1 | Red cards | R C | 1 | 1 | ||
| 200 | 92 | Total Shots | T S | 157 | 368 | ||
| 78 | 39 | Shots on Target | S O | 70 | 155 | ||
| 38% | 41% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 33% | 35% | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Linfield | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| 2 | Larne | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 9 |
| 3 | Coleraine | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| 4 | Cliftonville | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 5 | Crusaders | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | Warrenpoint Town | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 7 | Portadown | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| 8 | Ballymena United | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 3 |
| 9 | Glenavon | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 2 |
| 10 | Glentoran | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 1 |
| 11 | Dungannon Swifts | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -5 | 1 |
| 12 | Carrick Rangers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | -8 | 0 |
| Last season | Total | Home | Away | ||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Linfield | 31 | 22 | 3 | 6 | 71 | 24 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 44 | 9 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 27 | 15 | 47 | 69 |
| 2 | Coleraine | 31 | 19 | 8 | 4 | 64 | 24 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 29 | 10 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 35 | 14 | 40 | 65 |
| 3 | Crusaders | 31 | 17 | 8 | 6 | 66 | 30 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 35 | 13 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 31 | 17 | 36 | 59 |
| 4 | Cliftonville | 31 | 18 | 5 | 8 | 48 | 22 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 23 | 11 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 25 | 11 | 26 | 59 |
| 5 | Glentoran | 31 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 60 | 33 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 34 | 13 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 20 | 27 | 58 |
| 6 | Larne | 31 | 16 | 8 | 7 | 59 | 29 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 32 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 27 | 14 | 30 | 56 |
| 7 | Glenavon | 31 | 10 | 5 | 16 | 46 | 71 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 27 | 20 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 19 | 51 | -25 | 35 |
| 8 | Carrick Rangers | 31 | 10 | 2 | 19 | 34 | 47 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 25 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 17 | 22 | -13 | 32 |
| 9 | Dungannon Swifts | 31 | 8 | 6 | 17 | 36 | 76 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 23 | 33 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 43 | -40 | 30 |
| 10 | Ballymena United | 31 | 7 | 6 | 18 | 34 | 54 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 30 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 24 | -20 | 27 |
| 11 | Warrenpoint Town | 31 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 85 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 15 | 40 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 45 | -59 | 18 |
| 12 | Institute | 31 | 2 | 9 | 20 | 23 | 72 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 41 | 16 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 31 | -49 | 15 |