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Brighton will take on Kauno Zalgiris on Thursday, 15 October, as part of the first round of UEFA Conference League league-phase matches.
The Seagulls have made an excellent start to the new Premier League season and will be keen to continue that form into Europe on Thursday night.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Brighton vs Kauno Zalgiris key stats
- Brighton have won four matches in a row in all competitions.
- Kauno Zalgiris have won just one of their last five European away matches.
- Brighton have scored 13 goals across their last four matches in all competitions.
Brighton vs Kauno Zalgiris preview: Hosts to run riot
Brighton vs Kauno Zalgiris — Tale of the Tape
| Brighton | vs | Kauno Zalgiris |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd (Premier League) | Position | 1st (Toplyga ) |
| 13 | Points | 51 |
| 18 | Goals For | 56 |
| 5 | Goals Against | 20 |
| 4 | Clean Sheets | 15 |
| 3rd | Home / Away Rank | 2nd |
Brighton are not only firm favourites to win this match on Thursday, but also the outright favourites to win the Europa Conference League.
The financial strength of the Premier League means that English teams nearly always start the campaign as the favourites to win UEFA's third-tier competition, but the Seagulls still need to go out and take care of business.
After a steady first two seasons at the Amex Stadium, Fabian Hurzeler has seemingly managed to take his team up a level or two over the summer, with Brighton currently third in the Premier League table, behind Arsenal and Man City.
Translating that form into Europe is the next hurdle to overcome, but there is no reason why Hurzeler's men should struggle at home against a side that has never previously made it through qualifying of any UEFA Competition.
Hurzeler has far from a clean bill of health ahead of this one, with Evan Ferguson, Stefanos Tzimas, Kaoru Mitoma, Yakuba Minteh, Mats Wieffer and Femi Azeez all injured.
As for Kauno Zalgiris, this is as tough as it is going to get for them this season, so if they can compete well on Thursday night, they should gain plenty of belief for the rest of the season.
This will be the Lithuanian side's first-ever match against English opposition, but they did face Welsh side Penybont during Conference League qualifying in 2024, so British soil isn't completely alien to them.
Back home, Kauno Zalgiris are on track to retain their Toplyga title. With just eight games of their season to play, they are on top of the pile with a game in hand on the chasing pack. They are also now officially the Lithuanian Cup champions after beating FK Minija in the final on Sunday.
Manager Zeljko Sopic will see this match as a free hit and will be able to select his best XI, with no reported injuries or suspensions.
Brighton vs Kauno Zalgiris form guide & betting tips
| Brighton | vs | Kauno Zalgiris |
|---|---|---|
DWWWW |
Form | WWLWW |
| 14 | Goals For | 13 |
| 3 | Goals Against | 5 |
DW |
UEFA Conference League | N/A |
Whispers predicts: Brighton 4-0 Kauno Zalgiris
Brighton have been scintillating so far this season, particularly at the Amex Stadium. Brighton to win with a -3.5 handicap has been best priced at 4/5.
Brighton have scored three or more goals in three of their last four matches. Brighton to score over 3.5 goals has been priced at 1/1.
Charalampos Kostoulas has scored three goals in his last five Brighton appearances. Kostoulas to score anytime has been best priced at 4/9.
> Brighton to win with a -3.5 handicap at 4/5 (1.80) | Likelihood: Medium
> Brighton to score over 3.5 goals at 1/1 (2.00) | Likelihood: High
> Kostoulas to score anytime at 4/9 (1.44) | Likelihood: High