UEFA Conference League Gameweek 1 Predictions

The first round of the new-look league phase of the UEFA Conference League gets underway this week and Thursday treats us to a look at 32 of the 38 teams involved in a stacked 16-fixture schedule.

Chelsea, Hearts, The New Saints, Larne, and Shamrock Rovers are all involved in ties and there is plenty to view across the markets.

FC Copenhagen to beat Jagiellonia @ 11/20

FC Copenhagen made it to the knockout stages of the Champions League last season, qualifying against all odds from a group containing Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Galatasaray, and they are expected to put in a good showing in the UEFA Conference League after dropping down to the third tier of European competition.

A narrow loss in last season’s Danish Superliga title battle is the cause of this drop down the ranks, with Copenhagen finishing third in the table despite being just four points off top spot. This leaves them in the UEFA Conference League for the first time since the 2021/22 season, but they should get their campaign off to a winning start against Jagiellonia.

The Danes won five of their six group games that season and have started this term with six wins and two draws from their eight competitive home games, while the visiting Jagiellonia have won only two of their 11 European away days.

Over 3.5 goals in Molde vs Larne @ 19/20

Molde put five past Tromsø in an eight-goal thriller on Saturday and more goals are expected when Northern Irish outfit Larne pay Norway a visit in their UEFA Conference League opener on Thursday.

This is the first season Larne have ever made it past the qualifying rounds in European competition since their debut in 2021 and it could prove a baptism of fire against the free-scoring hosts.

Four of Larne’s last ten European fixtures have featured at least four goals and Molde have seen 21 goals scored across their last four competitive matches, with three of those producing four goals or more.

Heidenheim to win to nil vs Olimpija @ 37/20

Heidenheim’s meteoric rise continued last season as they finished eighth in their first Bundesliga campaign, paving the way for a European debut for a side who were plying their trade in the fifth tier of German football just 16 years ago. They have started the new season with six wins from eight games and have kept a clean sheet in four of those victories, so they are justified favourites to get their European adventure off to a winning start when Slovenian side Olimpija come to town.

Olimpija reached last season’s Conference League group stage but lost four of their six matches. They failed to score in each of those defeats against Lille (twice), Slovan Bratislava, and KI Klaksvik, and Heidenheim could hold them at bay on Thursday.

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Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation