Cliftonville vs St Joseph's prediction, H2H and probable lineups — 17 July 2025
St Joseph's
The second leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round between Northern Ireland's Cliftonville and Gibraltar's St Joseph's will take place on July 17 in Belfast. The first match ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw, leaving everything to be decided in Northern Ireland. Let's take a look at a bet on the teams’ attacking output in this clash.
Cliftonville
Northern Irish side Cliftonville secured their Conference League spot by finishing just seventh in the league, but impressively battled through the play-offs. Their last league titles date back to the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons, and two seasons ago they finished third — so the club has a fair share of European experience under their belt.
In last year's Conference League campaign, Cliftonville faced Latvian side Auda and suffered two defeats — 1-2 at home and 0-2 away, crashing out in the first round.
Currently, the team is showing solid form: just one defeat in their last 16 matches. After the first leg with St Joseph's, the Northern Irish club also played a friendly against Crumlin United, cruising to a commanding 5-0 victory and extending their unbeaten run.
For the return leg against St Joseph's, Cliftonville will be playing at home — a crucial factor. They’ll look to make the most of their home advantage and finish the job by advancing to the next round.
St Joseph's
St Joseph's came agonisingly close to winning the Gibraltar league title for the first time in their history. They finished the season level on points with Lincoln Red Imps, but lost out on the championship due to goal difference — for the second year in a row ending as runners-up in the national league.
Last season in the Conference League, St Joseph's met Irish side Shelbourne: they put up a good fight, drawing 1-1 at home but losing 1-2 away. Their current opponent, Cliftonville, seems slightly less daunting, and the Gibraltarians had a real chance to get more out of the first leg. St Joseph's dominated large spells of the game but only managed a 2-2 draw, making crucial errors at the end of both halves. After the visitors were reduced to ten men, St Joseph's equalised, then conceded again, and only managed to rescue a draw a few minutes before the final whistle — with Álvaro Rey netting a brace.
Despite letting the advantage slip, St Joseph's showed real fighting spirit and are heading to Northern Ireland with no intention of just making up the numbers. They have every chance of progressing to the next round.
Key facts and head-to-head
- Cliftonville are unbeaten in 15 of their last 16 matches.
- 4 of Cliftonville’s last 5 games have seen over 2.5 goals.
- Both teams have scored in 3 of Cliftonville’s last 5 matches.
- St Joseph's have won 4 of their last 5 games.
- 3 of St Joseph’s last 4 matches have featured over 2.5 goals.
- The first leg between these sides ended 2-2.
Probable lineups
- Cliftonville: Ridd, Conlan, Addis, Kearney, Pepper, Hale, Wilson, Casey, Curran, Gormley, McWoods.
- St Joseph's: Banda, Jolly, Curado, Cardoso, Barba, Sanchez, Juanma, Alvarez, Armental, Rodriguez Moreno, Rey.
Cliftonville vs St Joseph's match prediction
This upcoming match promises to be a hard-fought battle, just like the first leg. St Joseph's were the better side in the opening game, created chances, and controlled play, but defensive mistakes cost them the win — they had to settle for a 2-2 draw despite having a man advantage. Now, they'll be eager to prove the first-leg result didn’t reflect the true balance of power. Cliftonville, for their part, are in great form — unbeaten in recent matches and playing with consistency. All signs point to another open, attacking contest. Both teams have plenty of motivation, attacking firepower, and defensive issues. My bet for this match: both teams to score, odds 1.58.
