AEK Larnaca vs Dnipro-1 prediction: EUROPE: Europa Conference League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2023-02-15 20:00.
As Cyprus' only remaining team in UEFA competition, AEK Larnaca will look to extend their European journey as they enjoy the rigours of knockout āspringtimeā European football for the very first time. After finishing third in their Europa League group (UEL), they now prepare for the visit of Ukranian outfit Dnipro-1 for the first leg of what is anticipated to be a hard-fought Europa Conference League (UECL) knockout round play-off.
On top of already beating Dnipro-1 twice this campaign in August during UEFA qualifying, including a 3-0 win here, AEK also went unbeaten against fellow Ukrainian opposition Dynamo Kyiv (W1, D1) during the UEL group stages, so theyāve reason to be confident. Fans may feel something special is unfolding too, as the Green-Yellows also sit atop the Cypriot First Division in their search for a first ever top-flight league title, having won 13 of their last 15 league games (D2).
This could be a tough assignment for Oleksandr Kucherās visiting side, but they shouldnāt be written off after two wins over Cypriot reigning champions Apollon contributed to their second-place finish in the UECL group stages. This is completely unchartered territory for Dnipro-1 however, with this their debut season in UEFA competition, so there may be added pressure in the potential history-making significance of this tie.
The manager may have Dnipro-1 at the summit of their domestic league, but some of the Ukrainian sideās recent away performances have been unconvincing (W2, D1, L2) so theyāll want a reproduction of their strong travelling form from their UECL group stage campaign (W2, L1). The visitors are known to pose a threat though, having failed to score just once in their last 14 away outings in all competitions, albeit that sole goalless occasion did arrive at this very venue during last Augustās H2H tie.
Players to watch: Rafa Lopes may prove key for the hosts as he has two goals from his last four home appearances and netted here in the last H2H. Potentially the biggest threat to AEKās progression is Dnipro-1 forward Artem Dovbyk, who is this competition's top scorer this season (G5).
Hot streak: AEK havenāt lost a home match during regulation time when striking first since March 2022 (W12, D2).