Wolfsberg vs Omonia: can the Austrian side seize the advantage in the first leg?
In the first leg of the UEFA Conference League qualification play-off round, Wolfsberg will face Omonia. The match will take place on Thursday, August 21, kicking off at 19:00 CET. Here’s my betting tip for this encounter.
Wolfsberg vs Omonia: match preview
Last season, Wolfsberg finished fourth in the Austrian Bundesliga table, earning them the right to compete in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers. There, the Austrians faced PAOK, and both matches turned out to be extremely tense and low-scoring. The tie was decided by a single goal, scored in extra time of the return leg. Now, the team is fighting for a spot in the Conference League. In the new Bundesliga campaign, Wolfsberg have already played three matches, recording two victories and suffering one defeat.
Omonia finished last season’s Cyprus championship in third place. In the Conference League qualifiers, they have already advanced through two rounds. Their first opponent was Torpedo Kutaisi, whom the Cypriots confidently dispatched over two legs with an aggregate score of 5-0. In the third round, Omonia looked even more impressive: against Azerbaijan’s Araz, the team netted nine goals without conceding once. Omonia have yet to kick off their domestic campaign—the national championship starts on August 30.
Match facts and head-to-head statistics
- Omonia are on a four-match winning streak.
- Omonia have scored at least four goals in each of their last three matches.
- Wolfsberg have lost two of their previous three matches.
- The teams have never faced each other before.
Probable line-ups
- Wolfsberg: Polster, Piesinger, Diaby, Renner, Baumgartner, Wimmer, Matic, Ballo, Schöpf, Agyei, Avdijaj
- Omonia: Fabiano, Kitsos, Panayiotou, Koulibaly, Masouras, Eiting, Kousoulos, Evandro, Semedo, Loizou, Jovetić
Prediction
Wolfsberg will undoubtedly pose a real challenge for Omonia and will be the first serious test for the Cypriot side. However, I believe the Austrians can secure a home victory, and that’s exactly where my bet lies.