O. Ljubljana vs Larne prediction: EUROPE: Conference League – League phase betting tips on match 2024-11-27 20:00.
[p]Olimpija Ljubljana return to UEFA Conference League action with a strong chance of reaching the knockout stages of a European competition for the first time. The Slovenian outfit lost their opening match in the league phase, but back-to-back successes over LASK and HJK, both by a 2-0 scoreline, mean they are only outside the automatic round of 16 qualification places on goals scored.[/p]
[p]The Dragons’ good form in continental football is mirrored by how they are performing domestically. Víctor Sánchez has guided his side to top spot in the Prva Liga, leaving supporters dreaming of winning the title for just the fourth time. Their most recent game was a 1-0 win over Mura, which extended their unbeaten run to eight games (W7, D1) across all competitions, keeping seven clean sheets in the process![/p]
[p]Such a run will be a worry for opponents Larne, who require a miracle if they are going to make it to the knockout rounds. The Northern Irish side are one of only four teams yet to pick up a single point in the league phase, while they have conceded a whopping nine goals across their three successive defeats, the joint-second worst defensive record in the competition.[/p]
[p]Each of those losses came under the guidance of Tiernan Lynch, who has since departed to take charge of rivals Derry. He has been replaced by former FCB Magpies boss Nathan Rooney, and although interim manager Gary Haveron will be at the helm for this fixture, the task at hand is clear: to improve the consistency of a team who have only won five of their last 12 fixtures (D1, L6), the most recent of which was a 2-0 domestic cup success against Institute last week.[/p]
[p]Key battle: Ljubljana goalkeeper Matevž Vidovšek has kept six clean sheets in his nine Conference League appearances this season. He will be attempting to thwart Andy Ryan, who has never lost a game in which he has scored for Larne (W32, D4). [/p]
[p]Hot streak: None of Ljubljana’s last eight home games in the UEFA Conference League have seen both teams score, dating back to July 2022.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Matt Jones[/i][/p]