Kosovan grit vs Scottish class: prediction for Malisheva vs Hibernian
Malisheva
The first leg of the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round between Malisheva and Hibernian will take place on July 23, 2026, at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina. The Kosovan side reached this stage after a commanding win over Vllaznia, while the Scottish Premiership representative is just kicking off its European campaign.
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Malisheva: a historic breakthrough and hope on home turf
Malisheva are in Conference League qualifying for a third straight season, but this is the first time they've managed to clear the opening round. Tomas Brdaric's squad swept aside Vllaznia with a 6-2 aggregate, sealing the tie with a dazzling 5-0 home victory.
The hero of the second leg was Kreshnik Uka, who bagged a brace and provided an assist. He’s expected to retain his spot in the attacking trio alongside Djemal Ibishi and Vusal Iskanderli. The hosts can also draw confidence from their stats: in three home Conference League matches, they've claimed two wins and suffered just one narrow defeat.
Hibernian: the favorites set their sights on another long European run
Hibernian have reached at least the third qualifying round in their last three attempts, and made it to the playoffs in both the 2023/24 and 2025/26 seasons. However, the Scottish club hasn’t reached the group stage of a European competition since 2005/06, making this campaign especially significant for the team.
David Gray’s side left a strong impression in pre-season. After a 0-1 loss to Shamrock Rovers, they thrashed Cliftonville 5-1 and edged Brondby 2-1. On-loan Nathan Lowe struck twice on his debut and could form a strike partnership with Martin Boyle up front.
Match facts and head-to-head stats
- Malisheva beat Vllaznia 6-2 on aggregate.
- The Kosovan club has won two of their three home matches in the Conference League.
- Hibernian have won their last two friendlies by a combined score of 7-2.
The visitors’ class should prevail: prediction for Malisheva vs Hibernian
Malisheva earned respect with their confident performance in the previous round and, backed by their home supporters, are capable of causing the favorites some problems. The pace of Uka and his attacking partners could help the hosts exploit occasional lapses in the Scottish defense.
Nevertheless, Hibernian clearly outclass their opponents in terms of squad quality, experience, and depth. David Gray’s men are in fine form after their recent friendlies and should be able to create regular chances in front of the home goal. The Kosovan side may well get on the scoresheet, but containing the visitors for the full 90 minutes will be a massive challenge.
