/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.footballwhispers.com%2Fmain%2F2026%2F08%2FWalemark.jpg)
A spot in the main draw of the Europa League is up for grabs as Lech Poznan welcome FC Thun to the Enea Stadium this Thursday night for the first leg of their qualifying playoff clash.
The Polish and Swiss champions both failed to secure a spot in the Champions League, and the pressure to reach the next-best competition is well and truly on.
While Lech have picked up a string of solid victories in recent weeks, Thun have so far struggled to find their feet under a new manager.
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.
Lech Poznan vs. FC Thun key stats
- Lech Poznan enter Thursday’s fixture on the back of a four-match winning run.
- FC Thun have conceded three or more goals in four of their last six competitive matches.
- Lech Poznan have not conceded in over 270 minutes of football.
Lech Poznan vs. FC Thun preview: Champions collide in crucial European tie
Lech Poznan vs FC Thun — Tale of the Tape
| Lech Poznan | vs | FC Thun |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd (Polish Ekstraklasa) | League Position | 9th (Swiss Super League) |
| 7 | Points | 3 |
| 5 | Goals For | 5 |
| 1 | Goals Against | 11 |
| 2 | Clean Sheets | 0 |
| 5th/6th | Home / Away Rank | 12th/6th |
Having won back-to-back Polish Ekstraklasa titles, the next big goal for Lech Poznan was to finally reach the main draw of the Champions League – something no Polish club has done over the last decade.
Everything appeared to be going to plan, with the club picking up a 4-1 victory in the first leg of their Champions League qualifying clash with Danish champions Aarhus GF.
Instead of celebrating progression into the next round, Lech somehow squandered their three-goal lead and ended up being sensationally eliminated in the second leg.
That defeat marked the first time in Champions League qualifying history that a club failed to progress after winning the opening leg by three goals away from home.
Putting aside that disappointment, head coach Niels Frederiksen went on to oversee a four-match winning run across all competitions – including a 6-0 aggregate victory over KI Klaksvik in the previous Europa League qualifying round.
Next on the agenda for Kolejorz is a home clash with Swiss champions FC Thun, who have endured a wild start to the new season.
Similarly to Lech, the Swiss side endured an early elimination from the Champions League qualifiers, bowing out to European regulars Dinamo Zagreb.
On the domestic scene, things have also been pretty wild, with the team following up a 3-1 victory over Luzern with a 6-0 home defeat to Young Boys and another 4-2 thrashing away at Basel.
There has been no shortage of goals during recent FC Thun games, but given that the Swiss side conceded 16 goals over their last six matches, there is a lot to worry about ahead of their trip to Poland.
Gian-Luca Privitelli is the current manager at the club, and he has no easy task of following former boss Mauro Lustrinelli, who in back-to-back seasons got the team promoted, before lifting the Swiss Super League crown.
Lech Poznan vs. FC Thun form guide & betting tips
| Lech Poznan | vs | FC Thun |
|---|---|---|
LWWWW |
Form (All Comps) | LWLLW |
| 12 | Goals For | 13 |
| 5 | Goals Against | 13 |
WLWW |
European Form | DLWL |
Whispers predicts: Lech Poznan 3-2 FC Thun
One word comes to mind when looking ahead to Thursday’s qualifying playoff clash… goals.
Lech, for instance, have rattled the net eight times across their last two matches, while the last seven FC Thun games average a staggering 4.8 goals a game.
With that in mind, the over 2.5 goals market immediately springs to mind. As things stand, the bookies have priced this bet at reasonable 3/5 odds.
Both teams to score, which is another market that warrants consideration, is also priced at around the same odds of 3/5.
If you are looking for tastier numbers, you could consider the correct score market. Backing a 3-2 victory for Lech Poznan is currently available at 20/1.
> Over 2.5 goals at 3/5 | Likelihood: Probable
> Both teams to score at 3/5 | Likelihood: Probable
> Correct score 3-2 at 20/1 | Likelihood: Outsider