Conference League Quali, 1st round, first leg, Thursday, 11.07.2024 at 17:00
Last year, some Scandinavian clubs were able to celebrate sensational successes in the early phase of Conference League qualification thanks to their artificial turf advantage and anti-cyclical soccer calendar.
In my Liepaja Vikingur betting tip, the names of the protagonists change, but the trend remains the same: Even in the 2024/25 season that has just begun, it could be a club from the Faroe Islands that will make positive headlines!
What a sensation clubs from the Far North made last year in the early stages of qualifying for international club competitions!
I fondly remember the Icelandic club Breidablik, who knocked out Shamrock Rovers, or the Faroese first division club Klaksvik, who even managed to beat Ferencváros Budapest 3-0 in Hungary.
Of course, these are not the biggest heavyweights on the European soccer scene, but these successes were undoubtedly of great sporting value for the two northern European clubs.
In my search for serious and, above all, legal sports betting without tax, I got stuck on the Liepaja v Víkingur game this Thursday
In these very early rounds of qualifying, I usually pick northern European clubs that can play their artificial turf advantage at home and play against teams that are still preparing for the season.
In my Liepaja Vikingur betting tip, I have deviated slightly from this strategy, but I still rate the chances of a successful soccer bet as high.
Liepaja, the Latvian first division team, has already played 22 match days in the Latvian Higher League and thus accumulated a lot of match practice, but the current downward trend has something almost grotesque about it
Keep in mind: Liepaja finished fifth in the domestic league last year, but are now bottom of the table with just three wins after 22 matchdays.
The most recent three defeats against Metta (1:5), RFS (1:3) and most recently Riga FC (0:3) were particularly bitter due to their severity, which is why the vast majority of European Championship betting providers have had a rethink!
It is certainly not often that a Faroese club is favored in a European Cup match against any professional team – but judging by the current Liepaja Vikingur odds, this is exactly the case
Klaksvik won the national championship last year and provided perhaps the most sensational success in the qualifying phase for an international competition.
This year, however, it is Vikingur that is calling the shots on the small island between Iceland and Norway. The club, which was founded in 2008, has now played 16 league games there and won 15 of them.
With a goal difference of 47 to 7, it is easy to see that most of these successes have been relatively clear-cut. The 2:0 home win against HB Torshavn around a week ago is therefore one of the “Vikings'” tighter victories
Last year, Vikingur were defeated in the same competition and at the same venue by Andorran representative Inter Club d’Escaldes by an aggregate score of 2-3.
At the start of the 2024 season, however, the club nicknamed the “Vikings” was properly upgraded, and even if only domestic products are still under contract, their quality of play has improved considerably.
Another interesting fact is that the Faroese have been taking part in the qualifiers almost every year, gaining valuable experience and successfully eliminating a Latvian club in the 2014/15 season.
Back then, Daugava crossed their path in the first qualifying round of the Europa League
Liepaja have never reached the main round at home since their first appearance in European competition in the 2016/17 season and have won just two of their 10 home games in that period.
Given the appallingly weak form the Latvians are currently in, even top oddsmakers such as Sunmaker would not be surprised if the first leg of Thursday’s tie went in the visitors’ favour.
The Liepaja Vikingur odds, which read as follows from left to right, assign the role of favorite to the Faroese: 3.00, 3.30, 2.00.
That wouldn’t normally be enough to persuade me to place an away win bet. However, the boys from Vikingur, who have won five competitive games in a row, are not only in top form, but are also motivated by Klaksvik’s performances in the previous season.
True to the motto: What they can do, we can do for a long time!
Despite all the optimism about their chances on Thursday as guests in Latvia, I still don’t believe that they will successfully qualify for one of the three main rounds in their eleventh attempt
Conclusion: Both clubs are in the thick of domestic league action, but while Vikingur are going from one success to the next, Liepaja are very close to the Latvian second division.
The disparity in form cannot be ignored, and spurred on by KI Klaksvik’s hussar ride last season, I expect the Faroese to come out on top.
Liepaja’s current poor form and the Vikings’ impressive winning streak clearly point to a win for the visitors in the upcoming clash.
In my Liepaja Vikingur betting tip, I’m putting my money on a Faroese European Cup win away from home for the first time!
My tip: Victory Vikingur
