Europa Conference League: five top picks for Thursday's clashes

The Premier League season might not begin for another month, but some clubs around Europe are preparing to the start the 2022/23 campaign in early July.

Only 32 teams will participate in the group stage of the Europa Conference League, but if you include the qualifiers a total of 181 sides from all but one of UEFA’s 55 member associations (Russia) will compete in the Conference League at some stage. Here are our tips for this week’s matches.

DAC Dunajska Streda vs Cliftonville

Thursday 7 July, 7.30pm

Cliftonville are one of three Northern Irish entrants in the first round, but they will find it tough to get any further. DAC’s squad contains full internationals as well as several players who represented their countries at youth level. The Slovakian side have lost only one of their last 11 competitive home games, and they will be keen to establish a handsome lead to take to Belfast next week.

Cliftonville’s best hope of progressing is by keeping the score down on Thursday and going all-out for victory on home turf. DAC will surely prove too strong, though, especially in the first leg in Slovakia.

Recommended bet: DAC Dunajska Streda to win to nil @ 1.92

Cliftonville face tough away leg in Slovakia

Havnar Boltfelag vs Newtown

Thursday 7 July, 7pm

Bala Town and Newtown will be flying the flag for Wales in the first qualifying round of the Conference League. The latter are underdogs in their duel with Havnar Boltfelag, commonly referred to as HB, but there is reason to believe they could make life difficult for their Faroese opponents on Thursday.

Newtown will look to keep things tight at the back and frustrate HB. That might not be enough for them to avoid defeat, but they may be able to hold out at 0-0 until half-time.

Recommended bet: Draw at half-time @ 2.16

Dinamo Tbilisi vs Paide Linnameeskond

Thursday 7 July, 6pm

As one-time Cup Winners’ Cup winners and former European Cup participants, Dinamo Tbilisi are one of the most recognisable names in the first round of qualifying. The 18-time Georgian champions missed out on the title and, by extension, a place in the Champions League qualifiers last term, but this meeting with Paide Linnameeskond is unlikely to cause them too much trouble.

It is hard to see how the Estonian outfit can avoid a hefty loss on Thursday. But while there is little value in tipping a Dinamo to win to nil or a Dinamo victory in a match featuring more than 2.5 goals, the price on the home team to win both halves is tempting.

Recommended bet: Dinamo Tbilisi to win both halves @ 2.52

Olimpija Ljubljana vs Differdange

Thursday 7 July, 6pm

In the last eight years Differdange have only won one European qualifying tie, and that was a slender 4-3 aggregate triumph over Bala Town in 2015/16. The club from Luxembourg will be up against it when they lock horns with Olimpija Ljubljana, who reached the third qualifying round of the Conference League last time out.

Differdange are not used to playing in 16000-capacity stadiums and they may struggle to rise to the occasion on Thursday. Olimpija are likely to have too much quality, especially in forward areas.

Recommended bet: Olimpija Ljubljana to score more than 2.5 goals @ 2.2

Pogon Szczecin vs Reykjavik

Thursday 7 July, 5pm

The draw for the first qualifying round was seeded, and although all 60 teams are entering at the same time there is often a vast gulf between opponents. We are therefore unlikely to see too many upsets at this early stage, but Pogon Szczecin vs Reykjavik is one of the ties that could produce a surprising result.

Pogon finished third in the Polish top flight last season, but an average of just 1.2 goals per game shows that they sometimes struggled to put the ball in the net, particularly against obdurate opponents. Reykjavik will be solid and well organised, and although a home win is the most likely outcome, it is hard to overlook the attractive price available on a draw.

Recommended bet: Draw @ 6.4

Recommended bets

DAC Dunajska Streda to nil @ 1.92

HB-Newtown draw HT @ 2.16

Dinamo Tbilisi win both halves @ 2.52

Olimpija Ljubljana more than 2.5 goals @ 2.2

Pogon-Reykjavik draw @ 6.4