The first leg of the 2024/25 Europa League playoff between Borac (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) will take place on February 13 at the Gradski Stadium in Banja Luka. Borac vs. Olimpija Ljubljana: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Borac
Mladen Žižović's team played out a goalless draw with Omonia at home in their last Conference League match. As a result, Borac has failed to win in three of their last four Conference League outings and has not scored in those games (1 draw, 2 losses). Nonetheless, the Bosnians collected eight points in the group stage, securing 20th place and advancing to the playoffs. Notably, the club scored only four goals in the group stage, with only two teams having a worse record.
- The club has not lost in regular time in 5 of their last 6 home matches in the Conference League (2 wins, 3 draws).
- Exactly two or three goals have been scored in 90 minutes in 4 of the team's last 5 home matches in this European competition.
- The Bosnians have not scored in the first half in 5 of their last 6 home matches in the Conference League.
Predicted lineup for Borac (4-3-3)
Filip Manojlović – Bart Meijers, Karolina Jurich, Sebastian Herrera, Marko Vukčević – Sandi Ogrinec, Stefan Savić, Srđan Grahovac – Đorđe Despotović, Enver Kulasin, David Kavić.
Olimpija Ljubljana
In the final round of the group stage, Viktor Sanchez's side shared the points in an away match against Jagiellonia (0-0). As a result, Olimpija failed to win their second consecutive Conference League match, although they had a three-match winning streak prior (1 draw, 1 loss). Notably, the Slovenians have kept eight clean sheets in this European competition, including qualifiers. However, the draw did not allow the team to finish in the top eight, and Olimpija advanced to the playoffs from 14th place.
Forward Pedro Lucas will miss the match due to injury. Midfielder Talisson Alves is suspended for this game.
- The team has not lost in regular time in 6 of their last 7 away matches in the Conference League (4 wins, 2 draws).
- Exactly two or three goals have been scored in 90 minutes in 7 of the club's last 9 away matches in this European competition.
- The Slovenians have not conceded more than one goal in regular time in 6 of their last 7 away matches in the Conference League.
Predicted lineup for Olimpija Ljubljana (3-4-3)
Matevž Vidovšek – Manuel Pedreño, Marcel Ratnik, Ahmet Muhamedbegović – David Sualehe, Agustin Doffo, Diogo Costa Pinto, Jorge Silva – Marko Brest, Raul Floruc, Alex Blanco.
Referee
Radu Petrescu (Romania)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 41;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.1;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 25%.
Borac vs. Olimpija Ljubljana: Match Prediction
This matchup features two teams that are not known for their scoring prowess. The Bosnians struggle to score even at home in European competitions, having played six home matches in the Conference League and failing to score in two, while netting only once in two others. However, the team is capable of solid defensive performances, conceding more than one goal at home just once in this European competition.
Olimpija adopts a similar approach in away matches. In 10 of their last 13 away games in the Conference League, the team has not scored more than once in regular time, and in five of these matches, they left the field without scoring. On the other hand, the Slovenians have been effective in neutralizing opponents' attacks, conceding more than one goal in just 1 of their last 7 away matches in this European competition, and keeping clean sheets in three of them.
Expecting a low-scoring match, my prediction: Total under 2.5 goals
* The starting lineup for each team is from their last match in this tournament.
