Will Tobol put up a fight on their home turf? Tobol vs Ruzomberok Prediction
One of the second leg matches in the Europa League qualifying stage will take place on Thursday in Kostanay, where local team Tobol will face Ružomberok. In the first encounter, the Slovak club dismantled Tobol with a 5-2 victory. Here’s a prediction for this match from the experts at Dailysports.
Tobol
The "Yellow-Greens" finished last season in third place in the Kazakhstan Premier League and also clinched the Kazakhstan Cup. In the new Premier League season, Tobol occupies the fourth spot with 19 points from 12 matches.
Heading into the first leg against Ružomberok, the team had just secured a 2-0 victory over Aktobe in the League Cup. Overall, Tobol has recorded three wins in their last five matches, with their only defeat coming from Atyrau in the Kazakhstan Cup, losing 0-4.
However, their start in European competitions has been disastrous, with a 2-5 away defeat to Ružomberok leaving them with slim chances of advancing. It’s unlikely they will replicate last season’s success of passing through three qualifying rounds.
Ruzomberok
"Ruža" won the Slovak Cup last season by defeating Spartak Trnava in the final. This triumph allowed Ružomberok to return to European competitions after a season’s absence.
The team prepared for their European campaign with a series of friendly matches. Out of six friendlies, Ružomberok managed only one win against Humenné, with four draws against Egnatia, Domžale, Rapid Bucharest, and Znojmo, and one loss to Tatran.
However, poor results in friendly matches don’t always predict issues in official games. Ružomberok effortlessly defeated their Kazakh opponents in the first leg and, with a 5-2 victory, became the clear favorite to advance.
Interesting Facts and Head-to-Head History
- The teams have not previously met in European competitions.
- In four of Ružomberok’s last five matches, the "Total Over 2.5" bet has won.
- In six consecutive matches involving Ružomberok, the "Both Teams to Score" bet has won.
Tobol vs Ruzomberok Prediction
Bookmakers give a noticeable advantage to Tobol, with odds of 1.65 for a home win. However, they don’t believe in the Kazakhs' chances of advancing. Our bet for the match is "Both Teams to Score" with odds of 1.73.
