APOEL vs Borac Banja Luka prediction: EUROPE: Conference League – League phase betting tips on match 2024-10-23 16:45.
[p]Two of the four teams that started this season’s UEFA Conference League with a 1-1 draw take to the field here as APOEL host Borac Banja Luka on matchday two of the league phase. Following their draw with Shamrock Rovers, the Cypriots picked up three points from their two subsequent domestic games, most recently thrashing Omonia Aradippou 5-0 – the ideal start for new manager Manolo JimĂ©nez which should give them confidence of halting a three-match winless run in this competition (D1, L2).[/p]
[p]That win came in a home game and APOEL have won five of their six encounters in the Conference League on their own patch (L1), although the only blemish came in their most recent such fixture. Either way, this could be a close contest as the hosts have seen their last five matches in this competition at the GCP Stadium decided by a single goal margin.[/p]
[p]That was also the case in Borac’s weekend win (1-0), which made it five league victories in a row, keeping them close to the top of the Bosnian league. The Red-Blues have dropped points only once across their last six games (D1) while managing to keep four clean sheets, which should give them confidence ahead of this trip, although that sole draw came on matchday one against Panathinaikos, prolonging their own recent winless run in this competition (D1, L3).[/p]
[p]Borac’s Conference League away record makes for even more painful reading, as they have lost all three such games on the road, failing to score on two of those occasions. Mladen Žižović’s men will therefore be gunning to rewrite history here, as they make the journey south-east with the confidence of consecutive wins on their travels coming into this encounter, with both those victories being accompanied by a clean sheet. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Marquinhos scored in APOEL’s weekend win and netted the team’s final goal in each of his three scoring appearances in UEFA competitions. Looking to precede him on the scoresheet could be Zoran Kvržić, who has scored the opening goal with five of his last seven strikes for Borac.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Nine of the ten red cards that have been issued during Borac games so far in 2024 have been shown to their opponents on the day. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Sridhar B[/i][/p]