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Motherwell will take on Freiburg on Thursday, 20 August, in the first leg of their Europa Conference League playoff.
The hosts have come through two rounds of Conference League qualifying to reach this stage, while Thursday night marks Freiburg's first European match of the season.
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.
Motherwell vs Freiburg key stats
- Motherwell have failed to win three of their last four matches in all competitions.
- Freiburg reached the Europa League final last season.
- Fewer than three goals have been scored in each of Motherwell's last four matches.
Motherwell vs Freiburg preview: A nightmare draw for the hosts
Motherwell vs Freiburg — Tale of the Tape
| Motherwell | vs | Freiburg |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd (Scottish Premiership) | Position | N/A |
| 4 | Points | N/A |
| 2 | Goals For | N/A |
| 1 | Goals Against | N/A |
| 1 | Clean Sheets | N/A |
| 8th | Home / Away Rank | N/A |
After reaching the Conference League playoff round, the last team Motherwell wanted to be drawn against were Freiburg, a side that performed so well in Europe last season that they reached the Europa League final.
Under the guidance of Alfred Johansson, Motherwell have performed brilliantly so far this season, with the only blemish on their record being the defeat to Stenhousemuir in the League Cup second round at the weekend.
Johansson fielded a weakened team for that one, with his eyes firmly set on pulling off what would be one of the greatest victories in the club's history if they can come out on top on Thursday night.
Johansson will be hoping that he can catch Freiburg cold, as the German side have yet to play a competitive match this season. The Motherwell boss will be without Oscar Priestman, who injured himself in the previous round.
As for Freiburg, they will be installed as one of the favourites to win the Conference League this season should they successfully get past Motherwell.
While last year's Europa League final against Aston Villa ultimately proved to be a mismatch, their run to the final was commendable. However, a couple of key players from that squad, Johan Manzambi and Merlin Rohl, have now departed, so how they will fare this season is a little less certain.
Julian Schuster remains in charge, and he added several new players to the squad to try and replace Manzambi and Rohl. Keisuke Goto is the marquee signing, and he will make his competitive debut on Thursday.
Their pre-season form has been largely impressive, and they come into this one on the back of three consecutive victories.
Motherwell vs Freiburg form guide & betting tips
| Motherwell | vs | Freiburg |
|---|---|---|
W
D
D
W
L
|
Form |
W
L
W
D
W
|
| 5 | Goals For | 10 |
| 3 | Goals Against | 4 |
WDW |
Conference League | N/A |
Whispers predicts: Motherwell 0-2 Freiburg
Freiburg's extra quality and European experience should be the difference here. Freiburg to win to nil has been best priced at 13/8.
Fewer than three goals have been scored in each of Freiburg's last three matches. Under 2.5 goals has been priced at 13/10.
Igor Matanovic scored 15 goals in all competitions for Freiburg last season. Matanovic to score anytime on Wednesday has been priced at 6/5.
> Freiburg to win to nil at 13/8 (2.63) | Likelihood: Probable
> Under 2.5 goals at 13/10 (2.30) | Likelihood: Probable
> Matanovic to score anytime at 6/5 (2.20) | Likelihood: Possible