Djurgarden vs Pafos prediction: EUROPE: Conference League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2025-03-12 17:45.
[p]DjurgĂĄrden must come from behind to reach their first quarter-final in a UEFA competition since the 1955/56 season after a 1-0 Conference League loss to Pafos in Cyprus last Thursday. That result represented a third straight match without victory for the Swedish outfit (D1, L2), who are now staring down the barrel of four winless games in a row for the first time since October 2020![/p]
[p]Just one defeat at home during this season’s European adventure (W5, L1) suggests that Djurgården are still very much alive in this tie, despite their current form. But the Blue Stripes, whose league campaign starts later this month, have managed just one clean sheet in their last nine home games (W5, D2, L2), with eight of those seeing both sides score, meaning they may have to score multiple times to progress. [/p]
[p]Pafos by contrast are gunning for a third consecutive shutout as they look to prolong what has been a fairytale debut season in Europe. They may need to improve on a poor record of only one Conference League away win this campaign though (D2, L4), with that sole victory coming against Petrocub Hîncești, who came bottom of the league-phase table. [/p]
[p]Don’t necessarily expect there to be a huge amount of excitement in the first half of this encounter, as three of Pafos’ last four games in all competitions have been goalless at the break, including their latest Cypriot top-flight meeting on Sunday, which also ended 0-0 to see their lead at the top of the table cut to just a point. When it comes to scoring after the hour mark though, Juan Carlos Carcedo’s men have delivered time and again, finding the net at least once in that timeframe in their last seven Conference League matches. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Djurgården’s last goalscorer was 18-year-old Keita Kosugi, who has found the net in the 95th minute or later in two of his side’s last three games. Pafos attacking midfielder Vlad Dragomir set up the winner in the first leg, meaning that all four of the Romanian’s goal-contributing appearances in Europe this term have been at home. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: There has not been a goal inside 15 minutes in any of Djurgården’s main-draw Conference League matches this season.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Alex Bowmer[/i][/p]