FC Ballkani vs CFR Cluj prediction: EUROPE: Europa Conference League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2022-09-07 16:45.
Football Superleague of Kosovo champions Ballkani will become the first ever Kosovan side to play in the group stages of a UEFA club competition when they make their UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) debut on Thursday. The men from Suva Reka successfully negotiated three rounds of UECL qualifying, scoring 17 goals in six games, after being knocked out of the first round of their UEFA Champions League (UCL) qualifying phase by Lithuanian side Zalgiris.
Manager Ilir Daja led his side to a first ever Superleague title last season and has likewise begun this domestic campaign strongly, with three successive 1-0 victories making them the only side left with a 100% record, despite having to contend with a couple of postponements. July’s extra-time defeat to Zalgiris remains their only loss of the season, and Daja has since fashioned an impressive nine-game unbeaten run (W8, D1) in all competitions, making them the in-form side coming into Thursday’s contest.
Romanian Liga 1 champions CFR Cluj are making their second successive UECL appearance, having finished bottom of their group last season after losing four of their six fixtures (W1, D1). Managed by former Chelsea fullback Dan Petrescu, Cluj were likewise knocked out of the first round of UCL qualifying before embarking on three tightly contested ties, needing a 90th minute winner in the second leg of their final qualification tie to overcome Slovenian side NK Maribor.
The Feroviarii haven’t won a European away game since July 2021 though, a run of nine fixtures (D4, L5), but nonetheless are considered favourites in this first ever encounter between these two sides, and that’s despite their disappointing domestic title defence so far (W4, L3). Petrescu will, however, want to avoid any complacency in this fixture, especially given his side’s first matchweek defeat away to Czech minnows Jablonec in the group stage last season.
Players to watch: Ballkani lost just one of the 14 games in which Ermal Krasniqi found the back of the net last season (W11, D2), whilst Croatian striker Gabriel Debeljuh netted both goals in Cluj’s only UECL group stage victory last year.
Hot stat: Three of Ballkani’s last four home games in all competitions saw the away side pick up a red card.