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Omonoia FC and Sint-Truidense will meet for the second time in seven days when they contest the second leg of their Europa League playoff tie on Thursday night.
The Belgian side claimed a narrow advantage in the first leg at Stayen, where the hosts had to wait until the third minute of stoppage time for Shogo Taniguchi to find the breakthrough and give the Canaries a 1-0 lead to take to the eastern Mediterranean.
The winner of the tie will secure a place in the Europa League league phase, while the losing side will drop into the main stage of the Conference League.
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.
Omonoia vs Sint-Truidense key stats
- Omonoia are looking to reach the main stage of the Europa League for the first time since 2022-23.
- The Shamrocks won their 22nd Cypriot top-flight title last season after finishing 18 points clear of second-placed AEK Larnaca.
- Only one team conceded fewer goals than Sint-Truidense in the Belgian Pro League last season.
- The Canaries have won just one major trophy in their history, lifting the Belgian League Cup in 1998-99.
Omonoia vs Sint-Truidense preview: Can the hosts overturn the first-leg deficit?
Omonoia FC vs Sint-Truidense — Tale of the Tape
| Omonoia FC (Cypriot First Division) | vs | Sint-Truidense (Belgian Pro League) |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | Position | 12th |
| N/A | Points | 2 |
| N/A | Goals For | 4 |
| N/A | Goals Against | 4 |
| N/A | Clean Sheets | 0 |
| N/A | Home / Away Rank | 13th / 7th |
After winning the Cypriot First Division comfortably last season, Henning Berg's side began the new campaign with hopes of reaching the main stage of the Champions League.
Omonoia were drawn against Kairat in the second qualifying round and, despite winning the first leg 1-0, they were unable to progress after suffering defeat on penalties in the return fixture.
The Cypriot side were subsequently drawn against Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar and narrowly progressed 2-1 on aggregate, setting up this playoff tie with Sint-Truidense and leaving them two matches away from a return to the Europa League league phase.
However, Omonoia will be determined to improve on their previous appearance in the competition, having lost all six group-stage matches against Real Sociedad, Manchester United and Sheriff Tiraspol in the 2022-23 season.
As for Sint-Truidense, their third-placed finish in the Belgian Pro League last season represented their highest league finish this century and secured a place directly in the Europa League playoff round.
Led by current Hearts boss Wouter Vrancken, the Canaries collected 57 points from 30 regular-season matches before winning four of their 10 Champions' Playoff fixtures to retain third place.
Vrancken's departure for the Scottish capital saw Sint-Truidense turn to Frederic De Meyer, and the 44-year-old remains unbeaten after three matches in charge.
The Belgian side drew their opening two league games before claiming their first victory under De Meyer in the opening leg of this tie, with Taniguchi's 93rd-minute strike leaving them just one match away from the Europa League league phase.
Omonoia FC vs Sint-Truidense form guide & betting tips
| Omonoia FC | vs | Sint-Truidense |
|---|---|---|
W
L
D
W
L
|
Form |
D
D
W
|
| 3 | Goals For | 5 |
| 3 | Goals Against | 4 |
D
W
L
|
Europa League | W |
Whispers predicts: Omonoia FC 1-2 Sint-Truidense (1-3 aggregate)
With Sint-Truidense holding a slender advantage from the first leg, we expect De Meyer's side to edge another closely fought contest and create more history by booking their place in the Europa League league phase.
An away win is priced at 5/2, while our 1-2 correct score prediction is available at 12/1.
Given our predicted scoreline, we are also backing both teams to score, which is priced at 10/11.
> Sint-Truidense to win at 5/2 | Likelihood: Possible
> Both Teams to Score at 10/11 | Likelihood: Probable
> Exact scoreline of 1-2 at 12/1 | Likelihood: Longshot