KuPS vs UNA Strassen prediction 18.07.2024 | Conference League

• Competition: Conference League Qualifiers, 1st Round, 2nd Leg
• Date: Thursday, 18th July, 2024
• Kickoff: 16:00 UK / 17:00 CEST
• Venue: Vare Areena (Kuopio)

After a goalless draw in Luxembourg in the first leg of the first round of the Conference League Qualifiers, KuPS and UNA Strassen will face off in the second leg at Vare Areena in Kuopio.

KuPS have consistently been among the top three teams in Finland in the last seven seasons, even winning the title in 2019. This year, after 15 rounds, KuPS are first with 28 points and once again looks like one of the primary candidates for the title. However, in Europe, KuPS had very little success and have never reached the group stage of any European competition. Their best chance was in 2021/22, but were unlucky to face off against Union Berlin in the Playoff Round. This time, despite the first game finishing as a goalless draw, the bookies see KuPS as a big favorite and offer odds around 1.1-1.15 for them to secure the second round.

UNA Strassen surprisingly got the opportunity to play in Europe for the first time ever. They finished 6th in Luxembourg BGL Ligue, but the two teams in front of them did not fulfill the requirements to compete in Europe. UNA Strassen were generally a mid-table team in the last several seasons in the domestic league, so no one really gave them big chances to reach the second round. Still, a draw in the first round definitely gives them reason for optimism.

KuPS vs UNA Strassen pick: Under 3.5 goals

In the first leg, we saw a goalless draw. KuPS expectedly dominated possession but failed to create a good scoring chance for the entire 90 minutes. In fact, UNA Strassen had two good scoring chances but failed to convert them due to a lack of quality upfront. Also, UNA Strassen played a very defensive game, in most cases with all ten players behind the ball, and that will hardly change in the rematch.

In recent games, KuPS mostly played low-scoring games and were under 3.5 goals in three of the previous four matches. Meanwhile, UNA Strassen are a team that constantly plays low-scoring games. In the last season, they were the best team in the domestic league for this type of bet, as 77% of their league games finished with fewer than four goals.

Considering all the above, an under 3.5 goals bet should be the safest option for this Conference League Qualifiers match.