First official test for Klauss's team: preview and prediction for DAC 1904 vs Velež Mostar — 23.07.2026
FK Velez Mostar
On Thursday, July 23, 2026, the DAC Arena in Dunajská Streda will host the first leg of the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round. DAC 1904 kick off their new season at home against Bosnia’s Velež Mostar, who have already navigated one European round. The return match is set for July 30 in Mostar.
- Also read: Prediction for the match Železničar Pančevo vs Braga: hosts aim to cause an upset - 22.07.2026.
DAC 1904 — a new era under Robert Klauss
The team from Dunajská Streda finished last season’s Slovak top flight in second place, collecting 58 points and conceding 34 goals in 32 rounds. The summer saw a change at the helm: on June 5, German coach Robert Klauss was appointed, signing a two-year contract. This upcoming fixture will be his first official match in charge.
The hosts adopted a pragmatic approach in pre-season. In their last four friendlies, DAC drew 0-0 with Widzew, 1-1 with Austria Vienna, lost 0-1 to Hapoel Tel Aviv, and beat Bolton 2-1. Only one of those games featured three goals; in the other three, the under 2.5 goals bet would have landed comfortably.
The final dress rehearsal against Bolton was a success: DAC struck twice before halftime thanks to precise finishes from Giorgi Gagua and Tsotne Kapanadze. After the break, Klauss’s side played more cautiously, allowing Bolton to pull one back only in the 76th minute.
The coach has several attacking options at his disposal. The UEFA squad list includes Gagua, Abdoulaye Gueye, Ammar Ramadan, Uroš Kabic, Matej Trusa, and Andreas Gruber. However, with the team still adapting to the new coaching staff, it’s more realistic to expect controlled pressure from the hosts in this first official outing, rather than relentless risk-taking.
Velež — two late goals seal passage to the next round
Velež finished fourth in the Bosnian Premier League, tallying 51 points. The end of their domestic campaign was mixed: after a 4-2 win over Rudar, they lost 2-3 to Sarajevo and 0-3 to Zrinjski. But in Europe, Ibro Rahimić’s squad has prioritized discipline and a more cautious game plan.
In the first qualifying round, the Bosnians edged out Moldovan side Milsami 2-1 on aggregate. The home leg ended 1-1, with Leonid Ignatov rescuing Velež with a stoppage-time equalizer. In the away leg, Rahimić’s men secured a 1-0 win courtesy of Aldin Mešić’s 82nd-minute strike. Both matches were tight affairs, ending under 2.5 goals.
The second leg in Moldova was especially telling. Velež showed patience, waiting for their chance and barely allowing their opponents a sniff at goal: the club report highlighted that Milsami didn’t record a single shot on target. The visitors’ mission will be similar here — stay compact, slow the tempo, and leave qualification to be decided at home.
Squad news and probable lineups
The official UEFA squad lists for the match have been published. For DAC, Taras Kacharaba was substituted in the 32nd minute of the friendly against Bolton, so Klauss may prefer a centre-back pairing of Filip Blažek and Klemen Nemanic. For Velež, the winning side from Moldova should form the basis of their lineup.
- DAC 1904: Leandro — Kapanadze, Blažek, Nemanic, Modesto — Diong, Bationo — Kabic, Ramadan, Gagua — Gueye.
- Velež: Ribić — Nukić, Hrkać, Đuranović, Omerović — Abdulla, Babić — Mešić, Salčin, Stojanović — Spahić.
Pre-match facts
- DAC and Velež have never met in an official competition.
- Three of DAC’s last four friendlies ended with under 2.5 goals.
- Velež scored two and conceded one in their two matches against Milsami.
- Both of Velež’s European ties this season have been low-scoring.
- This is DAC’s first official match under Robert Klauss.
- Velež already have experience from two tense qualifying encounters this summer.
Hosts have the edge, but a rout is unlikely: DAC 1904 vs Velež prediction
The bookmakers are absolutely right to install DAC as clear favorites. The Slovak side boasts greater squad depth and quality, they’re playing at home, and they wrapped up pre-season with a win over Bolton. However, the odds on a straight home win hover around 1.25, so that’s not particularly enticing.
The value lies in backing a low-scoring affair. This is DAC’s first competitive match under their new manager, with the return leg still to come. The hosts will be eager to seize the initiative but will also want to keep a clean sheet. Velež have already shown against Milsami that they can be patient, shut down space in front of their box, and capitalize on a single decisive moment.
DAC should control possession, but the Bosnians will do everything to slow things down. If the hosts score early, expect them to manage the game rather than go for more; if it’s 0-0, Velež are unlikely to open up. The most probable scorelines: 1-0 or 2-0 to the Slovaks.
Prediction: under 2.5 total goals.
