Hajduk
- Hajduk are unbeaten in their last 2 home games.
- Gonzalo García's men are a well-disciplined, control-first team that likes to build through the middle, then stretch the pitch with width and set pieces.
- Their 5-match form (W2, D2, L1) is nothing to write home about, but their 6-3 win over Vukovar 1991 last time out showed they can finish off games in the final third, and they are averaging 2.50 goals per game at home across all competitions.
- Hajduk's record is 3 wins and 1 defeat from 4 home games, and they should make Stadion Poljud a fortress again this Thursday against MSK Zilina.
Žilina
- Žilina have lost their last 2 away games.
- Žilina's 5-match form (W2, L3) is worse than Hajduk's and they have been on a downward slope since the end of June.
- Back-to-back defeats to Spartak Trnava and Podbrezova have seen their momentum disappear in a flash and Pavol Staňo's men will need to get back to winning ways soon if they are to make it through to the next round of this competition.
- Žilina's away form (W1, D1, L3) is also poor, and although they've scored 8 goals in 5 away games, they've lost their previous 2 road games, which is a bit of a concern coming into this tie.
- Staňo has a team that plays a higher-tempo, front-foot brand of football built around pressing and attacking with numbers.
Betting Insights
- MSK Zilina are listed at 5.0 with the draw at 4.0, but we think the better play will be on the home team to just edge this tie.
- Hajduk are the heavy favorites to win Thursday's UEFA Europa League Qualification match at 1.58, and for good reason, but we feel this game is more likely to be close than the current prices suggest.
Prediction
we'll take Hajduk to edge this one and a home win with fewer than 3.5 goals looks like the right match result wager.
