The UEFA Europa Conference League might not be the most popular competition among general football fans, but for betting enthusiasts, it’s a must-watch. There are always intriguing odds and interesting trends to discover, offering plenty of value. The tips.gg team has prepared predictions for five matches in the second qualifying round.
Levadia vs. Iberia 1999
Levadia exited the Champions League qualifiers after two matches against RFS. It’s not to say the Estonians were significantly outplayed; in some aspects, they even had the upper hand, yet they lost both games 0-1. Now, they face another team that stumbled in the previous Champions League round.
The start of the season has been disappointing for the Georgian champions. After defeats in the national Super Cup, they faced setbacks in the Champions League. Perhaps in these two matches, the Georgians can finally show their true character?
Both teams are relatively evenly matched, so we should expect a tight contest in both legs. In the last round, I favored Levadia, who unfortunately conceded a penalty at home and lost. This time, I’ll do the same, banking on the Estonians’ better match fitness and home advantage.
Betting Tip: Levadia Asian Handicap (0) at odds of 1.77
Aktobe vs. Sparta Prague
After two narrow defeats to Legia, the Kazakhs were eliminated from the Europa League qualifiers. In the Conference League, Aktobe’s upcoming opponent doesn’t bode well for them. However, the Prague club also has its own issues, and in the first leg at least, the hosts might try to put up a fight on their home turf. Their better match fitness at home should be an advantage, as the Kazakhstan Premier League is already 17 rounds in.
Sparta Prague barely made it into the European competitions; with an equal number of points, they only qualified thanks to superior head-to-head results against their closest rivals, Jablonec. The return of Brian Priske, with whom the team has enjoyed great success in recent years, is excellent news for the Prague side. But at the same time, several key players have left the squad in recent years, so the head coach will need time to get everything working as it should.
Perhaps this will be the Kazakhs’ last home game in the European qualifiers, so I suggest looking at their corner kicks total.
Betting Tip: Aktobe Total Corners Over 3 at odds of 1.75
Araz vs. Aris
The third-placed team in the Azerbaijani championship will face the fifth-placed team from the Greek championship at this stage.
Araz will play in European qualifiers for the first time in their history, and unfortunately for the local fans, the match will not take place in their hometown but in another part of the country, Baku. Despite winning bronze medals last season, Bakhshiyev’s men have a weak goal-scoring record with only 34 goals, just two more than the seventh-placed team (32). At the same time, the team’s defense conceded only 29 goals.
Since 2021, Aris has participated in European qualifiers three times but has always been eliminated, if not in the first, then in the second round. However, it’s worth noting that the Greeks have won all their home qualifying matches across these three seasons. But their away form has not been as successful. A clear indicator of their stronger home performances was last year’s championship, where Aris secured 16 more points at home than in their away games.
Clearly, we can expect a low-scoring match. Also, the Greeks are unlikely to please their fans with a strong away performance once again.
Betting Tip: Araz to win by 1 goal or draw at odds of 2.07
Petrocub vs. Sabah Baku
This is another clash between two teams deemed equal, at least by the bookmakers’ odds.
After an away defeat to the Maltese side, Petrocub managed to comfortably beat Birkirkara at home. The Moldovan Super Liga has already started, so the home side will clearly have better match fitness. However, their previous match against Sheriff undoubtedly took a lot out of Shota Makharadze’s men.
Sabah found themselves in the Conference League after a bitter extra-time loss to Celje in the Europa League. Leading up to this match, the team had only played friendlies. Generally, they play an open style of football, which often allows their opponents to play freely as well. The Azerbaijanis also tend to start matches very aggressively.
Regarding the prediction, I suggest betting on both teams to score.
Betting Tip: Both Teams to Score at odds of 1.94
Alternative Bet: Petrocub to win by 1 goal or draw at odds of 1.88
AEK vs. Hapoel Beer Sheva
AEK had a dismal end to last season, losing five consecutive matches. As a result, they will only compete in the Conference League qualifiers. Last year, the Greeks also played in the qualifiers, where they were unexpectedly eliminated by Armenian side Noah.
The Israelis have already tested themselves in a higher-tier tournament this season. Hapoel was eliminated from the Europa League over two legs, although they were considered favorites before their home game after an away draw against Levski. Additionally, the Israeli representative managed to win the Israeli Super Cup.
For me, the Greeks are the clear favorites, so I suggest betting on a straight win for them. For higher odds, you could consider the Greeks’ corners and shots on target.
Betting Tip: AEK to Win at odds of 1.64