Álvaro Hernández
Dailysports's expert
On July 8, at the Stadio Olimpico in Serravalle, San Marino, the first leg of the Champions League qualifiers will see Virtus take on Zrinjski. Here’s my prediction for this matchup.
Also read: Portugal vs Italy prediction, H2H and probable lineups – July 7, 2025
Match preview
Virtus, having clinched the San Marino championship for the second year running, will look to improve their Champions League fortunes after last season’s 11-1 aggregate defeat to Romanian side Steaua, which saw them exit at the very first hurdle. Given the modest level of football in San Marino, this task will be anything but easy.
Zrinjski, after claiming both the league title and the domestic Super Cup, had a commanding season, dropping points only three times throughout the campaign. The team has displayed confident, attacking football and, in my opinion, should have little trouble advancing to the next round.
Probable lineups
Virtus: De Angelis, Rinaldi, Sabato, De Lucia, Rizzo, Piscalia, Gollinucci, Cacci, Mujо, Valocchia, Lombardi
Zrinjski: Karacic, Abramovic, Barisic, Bilbija, Dujmovic, Mamic, Memija, Mulahuseinovic, Savic, Pranjic, Ivancic
Match facts and H2H
This will be the first-ever meeting between these teams
Virtus has scored in each of their last ten matches
In their last ten games, Zrinjski has won eight, drawn once, and lost just once
Prediction
Given the difference in quality between the sides, I’m confident we’ll see plenty of goals. The San Marino league is still a long way off from matching even the level of Bosnia’s top flight. My prediction: Over 3.5 total goals at 2.07 odds.
