Heartland vs Sunshine Stars Prediction: Akure boys could salvage a point here

In the Nigeria Professional Football League Round 23, Heartland of Owerri is set to host Sunshine Stars at Awka City Stadium. As both teams have displayed subpar performances leading up to this match, let's delve into a comprehensive preview and make a prediction for the upcoming fixture.

Heartland has encountered a series of disappointing results in their recent matches, failing to secure a single victory. Out of these, three ended in defeats against Kano Pillars, Lobi Stars, and Plateau United. Despite these setbacks, Heartland managed to salvage draws in matches against Kwara United and Kano Pillars in their second leg encounter at home. Throughout these games, Heartland scored a total of four goals while conceding ten.

In the current league season, Heartland has been averaging 0.86 goals per match. Notably, they seem to struggle with ball possession, maintaining an average of 49.33% possession in this season.

Sunshine Stars approach this match with a mixed recent record, having secured only one win in their last five games, which was against Lobi Stars. In the preceding encounters, they endured a four-match winless streak, suffering losses to both Kwara United and Kano Pillars, while managing draws against Niger Tornadoes and Kwara United. Across these matches, Sunshine Stars scored a total of four goals while conceding seven.

In their away games, Sunshine Stars maintained an average scoring rate of 0.95 goals per match and conceded an average of 1.14. Disciplinary issues have been notable, with the team receiving 28 yellow cards and one red card in the season so far. Their overall ball possession has been somewhat modest, with an average of 47.83%.

Despite Sunshine Stars securing a surprising win over Lobi Stars last week, this victory may not necessarily indicate a return to the form they exhibited in the previous season that led them to the playoffs. On the other hand, Heartland has struggled and has not displayed top-level performance whether playing at home or away. With both teams seemingly evenly matched and the potential for a closely contested encounter, the prediction suggests that Sunshine Stars, despite their inconsistency, will manage to secure a 1-1 draw on the road at full time.