In the upcoming match of the 27th round of the Irish First Division, archrivals Athlone and Longford Town from the central region will meet. The teams are separated by nine points in the table: the visitors are fourth with 37 points, while the hosts are in ninth place with 28 points. Longford is currently on the rise – they have won four of their last five matches and are on a three-match unbeaten run. In the last round, they crushed Finn Harps 5-0. Athlone, on the other hand, are three games without a win.
Both teams' goal statistics indicate a high probability of an over-the-top match. According to analytical models, Longford scores over 2.5 goals in 54% of their matches, while Athlone does so in 42%. Away games are even more frequent for visitors, with the total over 1.5 goals scored in 10 of their last 13 matches at their opponent's stadium. Head-to-head encounters at Athlone have also been rich in goals: of the last seven home matches against Longford, five have featured at least three goals. A prime example is the 2024 encounter, which ended 4-1 in Athlone's favor.
Considering the visitors' current form, their attacking prowess, demonstrated by their thrashing of Finn Harps, and Athlone's recent scoring problems, a bet on a total over 2.5 goals seems justified. Longford are expected to continue their winning streak against their neighbors, and Athlone should be able to respond with at least one goal at home.
