O. Ljubljana vs Borac Banja Luka prediction: EUROPE: Conference League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2025-02-19 17:45.
[p]Olimpija Ljubljana’s first defeat of 2025 – 1-0 against Borac Banja Luka last Thursday – means that they must win the second leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off tie if they are to reach the last 16 of a European competition for the first time in their history. Five wins from six Conference League home matches this season should lift Slovenian spirits ahead of this potentially historical clash, especially given all five wins came with an accompanying clean sheet. [/p]
[p]Those who have watched Olimpija regularly will know that their games often involve flashpoints, as five of the last six at any venue have featured at least one red card. Cool heads will be needed here and they’ll fancy their chances of assuming control of this tie if they go 1-0 up given they are unbeaten after scoring first in 25 encounters this term, winning 22 of them. [/p]
[p]Borac though will back themselves to reach the last 16 of a UEFA competition for the first time in 49 years, and they should arrive at Stožice Stadium feeling pretty refreshed, as they don’t resume the defence of their Bosnian league title until Saturday following a winter break that began in mid-December. [/p]
[p]Since that pause Mladen Žižović’s side have kept three successive clean sheets in European and cup action (W2, D1), having last shut out four consecutive opponents last March. Like Olimpija, they are not immune from being involved in feisty encounters, as there have been 11 red cards issued in their last 25 games, although remarkably none of those red cards were shown to Borac players. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Ivan Durdov got his first goal of 2025 on Sunday, meaning that his last five scoring appearances have been in victories where Olimpija have also kept a clean sheet. Sandi Ogrinec was Borac’s matchwinner in the first leg, netting in the 91st minute, with the Slovenian having previously scored home and away against Olimpija in the 2021/22 season. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: The designated away side has failed to score in six of Olimpija’s last nine games.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Alex Bowmer[/i][/p]