Connah's Quay vs Ballkani: who will gain the upper hand in the first leg? Prediction – July 8, 2026
Ballkani
On Wednesday, July 8, Welsh side Connah's Quay will take on Kosovo's Ballkani in the UEFA Conference League qualifying rounds. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:30 CET, and here's my betting pick for the match.
Connah's Quay vs Ballkani: Match preview
Connah's Quay represent the Welsh Premier League and finished second in the standings last season. They collected 58 points from 32 matches, ending 22 points behind the champions, and will now attempt to secure a place in the UEFA Conference League. Their campaign begins unusually early because of European qualifying. Moreover, there is no second chance, as a defeat would end their European hopes for the season. In preparation for the new campaign, they played two friendlies, losing one and winning one.
Kosovan outfit Ballkani were battling for second place in the Kosovo Superliga. They earned 58 points from 36 matches and ultimately finished third, just one point behind the runners-up. They now begin their UEFA Conference League campaign from the first qualifying round. Ahead of the start of the competitive season, Ballkani played three friendly matches, losing two and winning one.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Connah's Quay have never played in the group or league stage of European competitions and have progressed beyond the first qualifying round only four times.
- Ballkani have reached the final stage of European competitions on two occasions.
- Both teams begin their UEFA Conference League campaign in the first qualifying round.
- Connah's Quay and Ballkani have never faced each other before.
Probable line-ups
- Connah's Quay: Renshaw; Simatupang-Ferguson, Hughes, Jones, Flynn; Deane, Sharif; West, Stone, Stephenson; Franklin
- KF Ballkani: Golubovic; Dosso, Halili, Batarelo, Vokrri; Kuç, Giovanni, Diene; Tolaj, Serebe, Hamidi
Prediction
An intriguing contest awaits, and I expect to see several goals in this match. However, I believe Ballkani have what it takes to come out on top. My recommended bet is Ballkani to score over 1.5 goals.
