Premiership: Two contenders who have performed superbly as yet. Prepare for Crusaders - Glentoran with this thorough guide!
- Crusaders have the fewest conceded goals in the first half (3) in Premiership
- Glentoran have the most scored goals (44) in Premiership
These teams are located so close to each other that their supporters eat in the same restaurants, hang out at the same night clubs and give birth at the same hospitals. This means added importance to the game and a vibrant atmosphere.
The visiting Glentoran played their last game only four days ago, a Premiership match. That game was also an away game, at Cliftonville. It will be interesting to see if they are fully ready and rested for this match, and/or if some changes in the lineup is necessary.
Crusaders form and stats
Crusaders have collected 17 points from their Premiership home games so far after 5-2-2.
Defensively the home team are doing well, with their goalkeeper Jonny Tuffey not having conceded a league goal in 455 minutes.
Crusaders are returning here after visiting Warrenpoint Town in a Premiership game and winning with a 1-0 scoreline. Clarke scored the goal(s).
In the preceding match a 2-0 victory visiting Cliftonville.This is expected to be a close game, with Crusaders perhaps considered small favourites due to their home advantage. Looking back at earlier matches similar to this one (expected to be close with Crusaders as a small favourite), we find four games. Crusaders has won one of these, drawn two and lost one.
There will be little rest for Crusaders after this match as they are travelling to Portadown for a Premiership game in only four days.
The Crusaders fans have had their share of opportunities to cheer home goals this season, having seen 14 goals in 9 league matches. Crusaders have only conceded 5 from their league home games. For more goal stats, check the Statistics tab above. There's been improvement defensively lately, as only 0 of these goals has been conceded in their last three home matches.
Glentoran form and stats
Glentoran have an excellent away record in the Premiership so far with 8-2-1 from 11 games. Glentoran are enjoying a nice run from their away games now, having played nine in a row without losing.
Glentoran play their second away game in a row, but can be confident going into this one after the 2-1 victory visiting Cliftonville (placed 3rd).
A 2-3 loss hosting Larne before that.As mentioned above, this is an open game with no clear favourite. We have found ten similar matches played by Glentoran in our archives, and the results are: three wins for Glentoran, three draws and four defeats.
A new game in only four days for Glentoran, the Premiership home match versus Coleraine. Busy days.
Glentoran are not goal shy away from home in the league, finding the net 20 times in 11 away games so far. It's not easy to score on Glentoran as they have only conceded 7 goals from these away games.
Head 2 Head
The last head-to-head encounter ended Crusaders - Glentoran 0-1, played this season. Head to head statistics (for the former ten meetings): Crusaders won five games, one match ended in a draw and Glentoran managed four wins. Over 2,5 goals / under 2,5 goals: three / sevenTop Goalscorers
  J. Donnelly 21 goals | C. McMenamin 10 goals |  B. Kennedy 8 goals |
Crusaders missing players
Glentoran missing players
| Crusaders | Glentoran | ||||||
| Total | Home | vs | Statistics | Stat | vs | Away | Total |
| 21 | 9 | 2 | Played | P | 3 | 11 | 22 |
| 12 | 5 | 1 | Won | W | 1 | 8 | 14 |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | Drew | D | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 6 | 2 | 0 | Lost | L | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 29 | 14 | 3 | Scored | S | 3 | 20 | 44 |
| 13 | 5 | 2 | Conceded | C | 3 | 7 | 23 |
| 90% | 89% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 62% | 67% | 100% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 67% | 82% | 91% |
| 24% | 33% | 50% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 33% | 45% | 68% |
| 14% | 22% | 0% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 0% | 9% | 32% |
| 5% | 0% | 0% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 0% | 9% | 14% |
| 14% | 22% | 100% | BTTS | BTTS | 67% | 45% | 50% |
| 57% | 56% | 0% | Clean Sheets | C S | 0% | 45% | 36% |
| 38% | 33% | 0% | Failed to Score | F T | 33% | 9% | 14% |
| 5.2 | 5.3 | 2.5 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 2.7 | 5.2 | 5.4 |
| 5.3 | 5.3 | 2.5 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 8 | 5.5 | 5 |
| 2.4 | 2.3 | 1 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 2 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Red cards | R C | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 9.7 | 9.3 | 5.5 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 7 | 9 | 10.5 |
| 4 | 3.6 | 2.5 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 4.3 | 4.9 | 5.2 |
| 34% | 44% | 60% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 23% | 37% | 39% |
| 7.1 | 6 | 3.5 | Shots against (avg) | S A | 13 | 8.2 | 7.5 |
| 3 | 3.2 | 2 | Shots on Target against (avg) | S O | 6 | 3.2 | 3 |
- Crusaders have played more matches over 2,5 goals home than away.
- Crusaders have scored at least twice as many goals as they have conceded.
- Crusaders have the fewest conceded goals in the first half (3) in Premiership
- Crusaders have the fewest dropped points from leading position (2) in Premiership
- Crusaders have the fewest matches over the total-line (3) in Premiership
- Crusaders have the fewest points from losing position (0) in Premiership
- Glentoran have scored at least twice as many goals as they have conceded away.
- Glentoran have the most matches over the total-line (11) in Premiership
- Glentoran have the most points (26) away in Premiership
- Glentoran have the most scored goals (44) in Premiership
- Glentoran have the most scored goals in the second half (24) in Premiership
- Glentoran haven’t played a single 0-0 game.
| 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 | 22 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 41 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 23 | 7 | 30 | 49 |
| 2 | Glentoran | 22 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 44 | 23 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 7 | 21 | 46 |
| 3 | Cliftonville | 22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 34 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 17 | 44 |
| 4 | Crusaders | 21 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 29 | 13 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 8 | 16 | 39 |
| 5 | Larne | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 39 | 26 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 17 | 13 | 38 |
| 6 | Coleraine | 21 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 30 | 17 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 31 |
| 7 | Ballymena United | 22 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 25 | 30 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 19 | -5 | 31 |
| 8 | Glenavon | 21 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 26 | 27 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 12 | -1 | 26 |
| 9 | Carrick Rangers | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 34 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 14 | -17 | 20 |
| 10 | Dungannon Swifts | 22 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 28 | 57 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 31 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 26 | -29 | 19 |
| 11 | Portadown | 22 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 46 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 28 | -26 | 13 |
| 12 | Warrenpoint Town | 21 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 17 | 49 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 33 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 16 | -32 | 8 |
