Elfsborg vs Pafos prediction 11.07.2024 | Europa League

• Competition: Europa League Qualifiers, 1st Round, 1st Leg
• Date: Thursday, 11th July, 2024
• Kickoff: 18:00 UTC +1 / 19:00 CEST
• Venue: Borås Arena (Borås)

Last year, Elfsborg were on course to win the title, as they held the top spot for most of the season. Still, due to the poor end of the season, Elfsborg eventually lost the title in the last game of the season. This year is nowhere as good as last year for The Yellow Ones, considering they are in 7th place with only 19 points - already 16 away from the top spot and six away from the European spots. When it comes to European Qualifiers, Elfsborg haven't secured it since the 2015/16 season when they reached the 3rd Qualifying round but were stopped by Odd (Norway). They are generally a team that rarely secures the Group phase and have done so last time in over a decade, in the 2013/14 season.

Pafos is a new name in Cyprian football, founded just ten years ago. Still, they quickly became one of the best teams in the country as their result constantly improved over the recent seasons. They have the second-highest total market value in Cyprus and are now one of the favorites for the title. Last year, they won the Cup and secured European Qualifiers via that route since they finished 5th in the league. The game against Elfsborg will be their first ever in Europe, but the bookies give them a good chance to reach the second round. Right now, the odds for Pafos reaching the second round are between 1.8 and 2.05.

Elfsborg vs Pafos pick: Elfsborg to win

Elfsborg are having a far-from-impressive season, but after changing the coach, they responded well and won the first game under the new coach 3:0 vs. Bromapojkarna. Generally, the primary reason for their poor season is their terrible road record. At Boras Arena, Elfsborg have been really good, winning the last five league games in a row.

Pafos had a good preparation period, winning three of four matches against solid teams - Panathinaikos, Legia, Ilirija, and Universitatea Craiova. However, they are totally inexperienced in European games, and it is hard to expect a positive result, mainly since they did not perform well away from home last year even against poor competition in Cyprus.

Even though we expect a close match, we believe that the home pitch advantage will be a deciding factor for this match and that Elfsborg will eventually secure a win.