There should be a significant difference in quality between these teams based on table positions so far, with Crusaders leading Institute by 21 points.
There’s little time for restitution or working hard at the training pitch these days, with both teams having played their last game less than four days ago.
Crusaders form and stats
19 points is a decent return from 8 Premiership games here at Seaview for Crusaders, who have the most scored goals (34) in Premiership,. The data says 6 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss.
Crusaders drew their last game, also a home match. Institute (placed 11th) was the opponent, 0-0 the score. In the game before, an away victory in the Irish League Cup match versus Ballymena United with a 2-1 scoreline.
Crusaders are huge favourites in this match and it would be a big surprise if they fail to leave Seaview with maximum points. The home side has been in this situation before, with huge expectations of a win. 22 earlier games are comparable to this one, and Crusaders has won 16 times, drawn 4 and lost 2. Sports bettors who like handicap betting will like to know that Crusaders has won by at least two goals 9 times when in this position.
Goals are plentiful at Seaview in the league this season as Crusaders has scored 21 goals here in 8 attempts. Crusaders's goalkeeper has had to pick the ball out of their own net 8 times. For more goal stats, check the Statistics tab above.
Institute form and stats
The hunting on away grounds haven’t been very fruitful for Institute so far with only 5 points returning home. The records show 1-2-3 (win-draw-lose). Two points from the last two away games for Institute, which the math geniuses among you will translate to two draws.
Institute are the visiting side once again, their previous game being the 0-0 draw at Crusaders (placed 3rd). Before that one, a nice away victory 1-0 at Newry City AFC.
Institute are huge outsiders in this game. Running a check in our games database we found 29 matches where they were as big outsiders as an away team. Results were 12 wins, 6 draws and 11 defeats. Of the defeats, 6 games were lost by at least two goals margin.
The visitors have scored 5 goals from 6 away games in the league, an average of less than one per game. In the opposite end, Institute have conceded 10 goals in their away games.
Head 2 Head
The teams have played each other before this season, with the result Institute - Crusaders 0-6 entered in the official records. Head-to-head totals (for the last ten meetings): Crusaders won 7 games, 1 match ended with a draw and Institute has 2 wins. Over 2,5 goals / under 2,5 goals: 8 / 2Top Goalscorers
  P. Heatley 7 goals |   J. McCready 6 goals |  P. Lowry 5 goals |
Crusaders missing players
Institute missing players
| Crusaders | Institute | ||||||
| Total | Home | vs | Statistics | Stat | vs | Away | Total |
| 14 | 9 | 3 | Played | P | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| 8 | 6 | 3 | Won | W | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 2 | 0 | Drew | D | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | Lost | L | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 34 | 21 | 10 | Scored | S | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| 15 | 8 | 2 | Conceded | C | 4 | 10 | 29 |
| 93% | 89% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 67% | 71% | 85% |
| 86% | 78% | 100% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 33% | 57% | 77% |
| 64% | 67% | 100% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 33% | 43% | 54% |
| 50% | 44% | 67% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 33% | 43% | 46% |
| 29% | 22% | 33% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 0% | 0% | 23% |
| 43% | 33% | 33% | BTTS | BTTS | 33% | 43% | 46% |
| 50% | 56% | 67% | Clean Sheets | C S | 33% | 29% | 15% |
| 14% | 22% | 0% | Failed to Score | F T | 67% | 57% | 54% |
| 3.5 | 3.4 | 4 | Corners For (avg) | C F | 2.7 | 2 | 2.4 |
| 2.6 | 3 | 4.5 | Corners Against (avg) | C A | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.2 |
| 1.8 | 2 | 1.5 | Yellow Cards (avg) | Y C | 2 | 2 | 2.1 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Red Cards | R C | 0 | 0 | 2 |
- 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 scored more than double the goals of Institute.
- Institute have conceded at least twice as many goals as they have scored.
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Coleraine | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 31 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 6 | 22 | 29 |
| 2 | Cliftonville | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 26 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 4 | 18 | 28 |
| 3 | Crusaders | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 34 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 19 | 27 |
| 4 | Linfield | 11 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 21 | 24 |
| 5 | Glentoran | 13 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 25 | 20 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 5 | 23 |
| 6 | Larne | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 16 |
| 7 | Ballymena United | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 16 |
| 8 | Dungannon Swifts | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 16 | 33 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 20 | -17 | 14 |
| 9 | Carrick Rangers | 12 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 8 | -8 | 12 |
| 10 | Glenavon | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 30 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 22 | -15 | 11 |
| 11 | Institute | 12 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 29 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | -20 | 6 |
| 12 | Warrenpoint Town | 13 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 8 | 46 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 29 | -38 | 3 |