Scottish Premiership sides Hibernian and Motherwell head into the second legs of their UEFA Conference League qualifiers in contrasting positions but with both still strongly fancied to progress.
The pressure will be on Hibernian to improve on their previous outing against their Kosovan opposition, while Motherwell seek to flatten any signs of a resurgence from HB Torshavn.
With European qualification at stake, both sides will be looking to make their greater experience and squad quality count in decisive encounters.
Thursday 30th July | 8pm GMT
Hibs face uphill battle against KF Malisheva
- Hibernian – 1/5
- Malisheva – 10/1
- Draw – 5/1
Our Prediction: Hibernian claw back 3-0
Despite Malisheva’s convincing win last week, Hibernian come into the second leg as favourites because of their greater experience in European football, having qualified for various European competitions twenty-eight times in their history. Combine this with the home advantage they have in front of 14,000 fans, they should just have the edge over the Kosovan side.
Hibernian will be aiming to create significantly more chances in front of their home crowd in this encounter having only managed a disappointing three shots on target in comparison to Malisheva’s nine in the first leg.
However, they’ll have to do so without key players Jamie McGrath, Nicky Caddin and Callum Wright who are all carrying injuries and will not be fit in time. If they can improve their attacking output and move the ball quickly to avoid being drawn into too many physical battles, they should be in a much stronger position to control the match.
Thursday 30th July | 6pm GMT
Motherwell set sights on third round spot
- HB Torshavn – 9/2
- Motherwell – 8/15
- Draw – 29/10
Our Prediction: Motherwell win convincingly 2-0
Motherwell travel to the Faroe Islands on Thursday, to play the second leg of their qualifying game against HB Torshavn. Motherwell head into the second leg as clear favourites after securing a 2-0 advantage in the first leg. Alfred Johansson’s side showed great quality in both attack and defence and will be confident of finishing the job despite being away from home.
Motherwell appear to possess the superior squad between the two sides, and winger Tawanda Maswanhise’s return to the side after injury should hopefully bolster the Scottish sides attack, as he recorded 19 goal contributions for the side last season.
However, the Faroese side could appear to be a greater challenge then expected as they have not lost a European qualifying game at home in the last five years. This sets the game up to be a hard battle for Motherwell, whose players were told to go home and “eat barbed wire” by manager Johansson ahead of the clash, to prepare to produce a gutsy performance on Thursday.
