Liepāja vs Vikingur prediction 11.07.2024 | Conference League

• Competition: Conference League Qualifiers, 1st Round, 1st Leg
• Date: Thursday, 11th July, 2024
• Kickoff: 16:00 UTC +1 / 17:00 CEST
• Venue: Daugavas stadions (Liepāja)

Liepaja have been in the upper half of the league's table since their arrival in the Virsliga in 2014, and they have even won one league and two Cup titles. Last year, they finished just outside the European spots (5th place), but luckily for them, Valmiera failed to obtain a UEFA license, and Liepaja got the opportunity to play in European Qualifiers for the sixth time in their ten-year-old history. In the Qualifiers, they rarely went past the 1st or 2nd round, and no one really believes they can reach the Group stage, especially if we take a look at their current league standings. They are the last-placed team in the league with just 15 points in 22 rounds - already seven away from the safe zone.

Vikingur have been either the second or third-best team in the Faroe Islands in the recent three seasons. However, this season, they are looking better than ever as they hold the top spot after 16 points - six away from the second-placed HB Toroshavn. In the last few games, they have beaten both HB Toroshavn and Klaskvik, who are the main competitors for the title. So, with wins against those teams, Vikingur are surely full of confidence before the Europa League Qualifiers against Liepaja. Similarly to Liepaja, Vikingur also rarely went past the 1st or 2nd round in the European Qualifiers.

Liepaja vs Vikingur pick: Over 2.5 goals

Liepaja's defense totally collapsed in recent matches. They lost four in a row with an incredible 13 conceded goals - 3.25 per game. So, we definitely do not expect them to keep a clean sheet, even against Vikingur. On the other hand, even with terrible results, Liepaja are scoring pretty regularly and have done so in ten of the last 12 games.

Vikingur are playing great this season, winning 15 of 16 league games while scoring almost three goals per game (2.94 to be exact). So, they should be able to score once or twice against struggling Liepaja. On the other hand, Vikingur had very little success defensively in previous European games, especially away from home. In the last five road games, they allowed two or more goals in four of those five matches.

Considering all the above, we expect a high-scoring game, most likely with both teams scoring.