Tony Incenzo previews the Scottish teams in action across Europe on Thursday evening, with two William Hill Premiership clubs in Europa Conference League action.
MOST of the national media attention in Scotland focuses on Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers but other clubs like Hibernian and Motherwell have fiercely loyal supporters who crave success.
Both face big European encounters this week. Is it their time to shine? Here are my thoughts looking forward to the two games alongside considered score predictions to assist your sports betting…
Thursday 23rd July 2026 – Europa Conference League Second Qualifying Round First Leg:
KF Malisheva vs Hibernian
- Kick-off: 3.30pm UK time
- Score prediction: Thriller 3-3.
Klubi Futbollistik Malisheva were formed as recently as 2016 and enjoyed a rapid rise to reach their country’s top flight. They were runners-up in the Kosovo Superliga 2025/26 rankings trailing crowned champions Drita by seven points.
Malisheva reached this stage of the UEFA Conference League by beating Albanian side Vllaznia 6-2 on aggregate (1-2 defeat away, 5-0 victory at home).
Scottish Premiership standings last season saw Hibernian finish fifth to qualify for Europe. Hibernian boss David Gray said: “I don’t know a lot about football in Kosovo so I must admit I’m not too sure about Malisheva.
“But we have watched both games against Vllaznia in the last round where they fully deserved to go through. Malisheva will pose a tricky test because they are a physical side showing high energy and are quite transitional. My players are ready and will be well prepped. So am I. We are looking forward to the two legs now.”
Coming up: the second leg is scheduled for Thursday 30th July with an 8pm kick-off at Easter Road Stadium in Edinburgh.
Motherwell vs Havnar Bóltfelag (HB)
- Kick-off: 7.45pm
- Score prediction: Motherwell magnificent 4-0.
Motherwell achieved fourth position during the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership campaign. Swedish boss Alfred Johansson was installed on 18th June after Jens Berthel Askou departed for Toulouse.
Incidentally, I recall Motherwell chalking up an impressive 7-1 aggregate victory over the same HB opponents in the 1994/95 UEFA Cup Preliminary Round (3-0 at home, 4-1 away).
Motherwell boss Alfred Johansson said: “We’ve been thoroughly preparing to take on HB. Some of the most important games of the season are right now at the beginning of our fixtures. You can see it as a tough challenge or accept it as the reality. We feel it is exciting to participate in European football. I am just looking forward to it.
“I expect two hugely competitive games versus HB. They are performing nicely in the Faroe Islands League and will be extremely organised against us. It will be difficult to cope with their transitions – very fast players who will go straight for it whenever they win the ball – plus immensely staunch defensive work. Therefore no underestimating the opponent by me.
“These fixtures over two legs in Europe are completely different to league action. You can’t go into it thinking everything is decided in the first leg, whether you get a good start or a bad start. It’s not one game and it’s not over. You need to embrace the two legs overall in this manner. I will put out a committed Motherwell team that are intense and really encouraged to play out from the back when offensive-minded.
“Hopefully you will see a lot of deep runs and players who are brave between the lines to turn and go forward. Ticket sales have been going well for the first leg and we will be close to a full stadium. I can’t wait to feel the atmosphere for myself.”
Havnar Bóltfelag are currently fifth in the Faroe Islands Premier League (‘Meistaradeildin’) which runs through the summer. Dating back to formation in 1904, HB have been crowned league champions on 24 occasions – most recently in 2020.
Coming up: the second leg will take place on Thursday 30th July, kicking-off at 6pm UK time. It will be staged at Tórsvøllur, the 6,500 capacity Faroe Islands national stadium.
