Legia – Zrinjski : Preview & Prediction
Legia came from a goal down to beat Zrinjski Mostar on Matchday 3 of the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL), a result that helped them move to the top of Group E. As if that wasn’t enough to bolster their confidence, two consecutive wins in domestic competitions since then should mean they have the ability to secure three points that would keep them on top before they face closest rivals Aston Villa in the next round of UECL fixtures.
While leading the group is the ultimate goal, winning here would significantly boost their chances of at least securing their first qualification to the knockout stage in a UEFA competition since the 2014/15 season. Having started from the second qualifying round, Kosta Runjaić’s side will rely on their impressive home record in this UECL campaign (G3, P1), a run that includes a matchday one win over Aston Villa in their only such game in the group so far.
Zrinjski responded to their defeat on matchday three to remain unbeaten in domestic competitions since then (G2, E1). With all four teams in Group E being very evenly matched, a win here could see the Bosnian champions replace Legia in the top two positions, which would be a massive boost to their chances of qualifying in what is their first appearance in the group stage of a UEFA competition.
Whatever happens, the visitors will not give up easily, as they showed on matchday one when they came from three goals down at halftime to win 4-3 against AZ Alkmaar. However, away performance remains a big hurdle to overcome as they have only won once on rival soil in this competition (E1, P2), which perhaps explains their broad “underdog” status.
Players to watch: Blaž Kramer scored Legia’s winning goal in the previous meeting between them and since then records three goals in three games. One of the most likely scorers for Zrinjski is Nemanja Bilbija, who scored his only goal the previous matchday and scored the first goal in his two league games since then.
Weekend stat: Three of Legia’s four home matches in the UECL have seen the first goal registered in the first 20 minutes.
Legia – Zrinjski : Betting Tips
Legia – Win Odds: 1.50
