Ludogorets vs Trnava prediction: EUROPE: Europa Conference League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-09-20 16:45.
Bulgarian champions Ludogorets Razgrad are making an eighth successive group-stage appearance in Europe as they begin their UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) Group H engagements this week looking to secure a top-two finish in a European group for the first time since 2019/20.
The hosts will have to quickly bury the disappointment of dropping two levels down from the Champions League qualifiers this campaign as they seek to build on a three-game unbeaten competitive run (W2, D1) coming into this match. As positive omens go, Ludogorets have won their only previous home match against Slovakian opposition and have also been victorious in eight of their last 12 home matches in UEFA competitions (D1, L3), which should breed confidence ahead of the visit of Spartak Trnava.
Slovakia’s Spartak Trnava are making their first appearance in the group stage of a UEFA competition since 2018/19 after navigating three rounds of qualifying and a play-off round to get to the UECL group stage. They may have picked up form at the right time as well with only one defeat across their last eight competitive matches (W5, D2), and the visitors will be quietly confident of a good start in a group that also contains Nordsjælland and Fenerbahçe.
The responsibility of delivering a positive result firmly sits with their frontline, as the White Angels haven’t kept a clean sheet in 11 straight UECL matches. Getting off the mark with a win in the group seems a tall order when looking at Trnava’s away record though, as the visitors have lost eight of their last 13 European away matches (W3, D2).
Key battle: Olivier Verdon has scored twice across his last four games for Ludogorets, including once in Europe, but the defender’s prime task here could be to halt Kelvin Ofori. He scored Trnava’s last competitive goal and also has two strikes from his last three UECL matches, both of which served as match openers.
Hot stat: In six of Ludogorets’ last 12 competitive matches, there has been a red card issued.