Europa League Quali, 2nd round, first leg, Thursday, 25.07.2024 at 19:00
Hunedoara passed the first qualifying round with flying colors. The Romanian second-division side prevailed against Hungarian club Paksi. A 4:0 away win laid the foundations, and the “crows” were able to afford a 0:2 defeat in the return match.
It will be much tougher in round two. The Croatian top club HNK Rijeka will be visiting on Thursday. The guests are the clear favorites for me, two guest goals allow for 1.66 odds at Winamx, which I am offering in my Hunedoara Rijeka betting tip
A Romanian second division team in the second qualifying round of the Europa League? How is that possible? Finishing second in League Two would mean promotion to League Two for only the second year in a row. However, the club does not have the right to do so.
FC can only be promoted to Romania’s top division this season, and with 22 instead of 20 competitors, it won’t be any easier to repeat this result. In addition to finishing second in League Two, the club also won the first cup in the club’s history
The success has lifted the team into the first qualifying round of the Europa League. The situation reminds me of Alemmania Aachen, who as cup final losers and second division team were also allowed to compete in the UEFA Cup at that time.
Corvinul survived the first round well and got off to a good start with a 4:0 win against Paksi. However, the preparation phase did not look promising. 2:3 against Mura, 0:2 against Celje and a 0:2 defeat against Borac. In the Supercup against the first division champions Steaua Bucharest (0:3), the team was also unable to get off the mark
In the second leg, Paksi could only score two late goals without any consequences for Corvinul. I also expect two goals at home against Rijeka, Croatia’s best offense last season. Sports betting fans can get 1.66 odds for the double at Winamax.
The entire community is convinced of HNK’s away success. 98 percent pounce on the tight 1.60 for the away win, a 4.70 is waiting in the top sports betting apps for the Hunedoara success and a 4.00 for a draw at half-time
Rijeka clearly have the stronger squad and will be able to call on their entire squad for the start of the competitive match. Zeljko Sopic has been on the touchline since last summer. Rijeka finished second in the table last season.
Once again, HNK were beaten by the dominators from Dinamo Zagreb. But the runners-up scored more goals. They scored 69 goals in 36 games. The offense has also been busy in preparation
Including a 7:1 against Primorje and 3:1 against Nyiregyháza. The test matches against RB Salzburg and KSC were more difficult, both times Rijeka left the field as losers after a 0:1 draw.
However, Karlsruhe and Salzburg are at a much higher level than Hunedoara. The second-division club has strengthened its attack in particular for the new season. Four legionnaires now play for the cup winners.
Nevertheless, it was not enough for the miracle against Rijeka. Especially as five out of six games with at least two goals conceded make me confident that HNK will also be able to score two goals
Surprisingly, the teams have not met before. For the hosts, who are playing in an alternative stadium on the European stage, this is not their first appearance in international competition.
In 1982/1983, FC were involved in the first round of the UEFA Cup, with victory over Grazer AK followed by elimination against FK Sarajevo. Corvinul conceded eight goals
Rijeka have already gained significantly more experience on the European stage. The 2017 Croatian champions, for whom Fredi Bobic and Andrej Kramaric once played, have already made several appearances in the Europa League.
In previous years, HNK played against the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus.
Last year, HNK failed to qualify for the Conference League. The club faced an unpleasant opponent in LOSC from France.
Rijeka could also concede a goal away from home this time. After all, Rijeka have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last five matches. Betano has 1.80 for the goal of both teams
Conclusion: Rijeka is clearly the stronger team and played a good preparation overall. The only defeats were against bigger clubs such as Salzburg and KSC, who finished the last second division season with a strong final spurt.
Romanian cup winners Hunedoara pulled off a coup against Paksi in the first leg, but in the other five matches of this still young season it was mainly the defense that caused problems. And now they host Croatia’s strongest offense.
I expect a difference in class on the pitch, not least because the Croatian runners-up will travel to the away game with their full squad.
My Hunedoara Rijeka tip: Over 1.5 Rijeka goals
