Zrinjski vs Legia prediction: EUROPE: Europa Conference League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-10-25 19:00.
Group E of the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) sits as arguably the most delicately poised across all three UEFA competitions so far this season, with all four sides locked on three points after two rounds. It has been a rollercoaster ride for Bosnian outfit Zrinjski who, after overturning a 3-0 half-time deficit to beat AZ on the opening matchday, suffered the heartbreak of a 94th-minute strike to lose 1-0 away to Aston Villa.
Despite that, it has been an admirable start to their inaugural UEFA group stage campaign, and the Nobles will be looking to build on that by securing a fifth successive home victory when Polish outfit Legia Warsaw visit. Krunoslav Rendulić’s men ought to be extremely confident given their strong home form in European football, as Zrinjski have won nine of their last 16 UEFA home matches (D5, L2).
The Polish side find themselves in the midst of a four-match losing streak across all competitions – their longest since November 2021! The most recent of that quartet was a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Śląsk Wrocław that saw all four goals fly in after half-time, suggesting their defence is more than a bit vulnerable ahead of the trip to Bosnia & Herzegovina.
The Legionaries have lost ten of their last 11 matches in the group stages of UEFA competition (W1), while each of their last three competitive away matches have ended in defeats ‘to nil’. But even Zrinjski boss Rendulić suggested that the Polish side’s recent results have not been reflective of their performances, telling the media that “sometimes things don't go as you would like”. A 3-2 victory over Aston Villa on matchday one suggests Legia are capable of bouncing back.
Key battle: Zrinjski have conceded just once in their last five matches, a record helped by the presence of defender Slobodan Jakovljević, who also netted twice before half-time in a recent 3-0 win over Velez Mostar. Legia’s Tomas Pekhart will be looking to get the better of him, having already scored ten goals this term, four of which came in UECL qualifying.
Hot stat: In seven outings since they conceded three first-half goals against AZ Alkmaar, Zrinjski have conceded just one goal before half-time.