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Meeting at the Bolt Arena on Thursday night, HJK Helsinki and Motherwell go head to head in the first leg of their Conference League third-round qualifying tie.
Joonas Rantanen's side progressed to the final round of qualifying after comprehensively seeing off Coleraine FC 8-0 on aggregate, while the Steelmen brushed aside HB Torshavn with a 2-0 home victory before completing the job with a 3-0 win away from home.
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.
HJK vs. Motherwell key stats
- HJK have won just two of their last five league matches and sit 11 points behind Veikkausliiga leaders KuPS.
- Despite finishing fifth last season, no side scored more goals than their tally of 74 in Finland's top flight.
- The Finnish side have been strong in Europe so far, scoring eight goals across their two-legged win over Coleraine in the previous round.
- Motherwell finished last season with the second-best defensive record in the Scottish Premiership, conceding just 36 goals in 38 matches.
- The Steelmen have started life under Alfred Johansson perfectly, winning each of their first three competitive fixtures.
HJK vs. Motherwell preview: Can the Steelmen take control of the tie in Helsinki?
HJK vs Motherwell — Tale of the Tape
| HJK | vs | Motherwell |
|---|---|---|
| 4th (Veikkausliiga) | Position | 4th (Scottish Premiership) |
| 28 | Points | 3 |
| 28 | Goals For | 2 |
| 23 | Goals Against | 1 |
| 6 | Clean Sheets | 0 |
| 6th / 4th | Home / Away Rank | N/A |
HJK vs. Motherwell form guide & betting tips
HJK Helsinki welcome Scottish outfit Motherwell to the Finnish capital aiming to move one step closer towards securing a place in the league phase of European competition for the first time in two seasons.
The Club would have missed out on European qualification through their league position last season, but winning the Finnish Cup secured them a place in the second qualifying round of the Conference League.
HJK, Finland's most successful football club, have won a record 33 Veikkausliiga titles alongside 14 Finnish Cups and six Finnish League Cups.
Rantanen's side quickly put last season's European struggles behind them, cruising past Coleraine with a dominant 5-0 home victory before following it up with a comfortable 3-0 away success.
However, their return to domestic action has raised some concerns ahead of Thursday's clash after suffering a 3-0 defeat against SJK, inflicting their third league loss in five matches.
That result leaves HJK 11 points behind league leaders KuPS and under pressure to rediscover their best form before facing a confident Motherwell side.
Motherwell, meanwhile, arrive in Finland full of confidence after enjoying a perfect start under new manager Alfred Johansson.
Johansson replaced Jens Berthel Askou following his move to Toulouse FC and has immediately made an impact, guiding the Steelmen past HB Torshavn in Europe before securing victory over Hibernian on the opening day of the Scottish Premiership season.
Alfred Johansson recorded a 46.99% win rate across 83 matches during his time in charge of Rosenborg.
Lukas Fadinger has been one of the standout performers during the early weeks of the campaign, scoring three goals in as many appearances under the new boss.
Despite enduring a difficult pre-season, Motherwell have found their rhythm when competitive football began and will believe they can take a major step towards reaching the main draw of a European competition.
A place in the league phase would mark their first appearance in the main stage of a European tournament since the 2008-09 UEFA Cup campaign, providing extra motivation ahead of their trip to Helsinki.
| HJK | vs | Motherwell |
|---|---|---|
WWWWL |
Form | LLWWW |
| 11 | Goals For | 10 |
| 4 | Goals Against | 9 |
WW |
Conference League | WW |
Whispers predicts: HJK 1-2 Motherwell
Both sides enter Thursday's first leg in good form in European competition, but we expect Motherwell's stronger start to the campaign and strong defensive performances to help them edge a tight contest in Finland.
An away win is available at 8/5.
We do expect HJK to find the net on home soil, with Both Teams To Score priced at 4/6 as the Finnish side look to take something into the return leg.
If our 1-2 scoreline prediction proves correct, Over 2.5 goals will land, which is currently priced at 4/5.
> Motherwell to win at 8/5 | Likelihood: Probable
> BTTS – Yes at 4/6 | Likelihood: Possible
> Over 2.5 goals at 4/5 | Likelihood: Probable