Derry City
- Derry City have won one and lost four of their last five games.
- Derry City did return to winning ways at the weekend when seeing off Tolka Rovers AFC 3-0 at home in the FAI Cup 2026, but the 1-0 loss to Rijeka earlier today will still be fresh in the minds of players and fans.
HNK Rijeka
- HNK Rijeka have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five.
- HNK Rijeka have won their last two games in a row and picked up an important 1-0 away win against Derry in this competition earlier today.
Head-to-Head
- HNK Rijeka are the stronger side on paper for their UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 clash with Derry City and they'll be keen to demonstrate that at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium on Thursday.
- Rijeka, who line up in either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 hybrid under Matjaz Kek, are a patient and possession-dominated side.
- Derry City, by contrast, sit narrow and compact under Tiernan Lynch and are happy to sit back and try to catch their opponents off guard on the counter.
Key Players
Michael Duffy has been serving up the ball nicely of late, providing three assists in Derry's last five.
Betting Insights
- Rijeka should win this one, but the odds on the visitors at 1.64 are a bit low and Derry at 5.1 and the draw at 4.1 make this a hard game to call.
- We're backing a cagey tie with Under 2.5 goals at 1.9 and BTTS - Yes at 1.88.
