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The Europa League league phase reaches its halfway point later this week, with Portuguese second-tier outfit Torreense welcoming Ararat-Armenia to the Estadio Manuel Marques on Thursday night.
Joao Nuno's side made an impressive start to their European debut by claiming a memorable victory over Norwegian outfit Lillestrom, but successive defeats to Sunderland and Ferencvaros have since left them 28th in the 36-team standings.
The visitors, meanwhile, have endured a difficult introduction to the competition, losing each of their opening three matches and sitting bottom of the league-phase table ahead of their fourth outing.
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.
Torreense vs. Ararat-Armenia key stats
- Torreense have failed to score three or more goals in any of their last 12 matches.
- Joao Nuno's side have averaged just 0.8 goals per game across their last five home fixtures.
- Ararat-Armenia have lost all three of their Europa League matches, conceding 11 goals in the process.
- Tulipa's side have nevertheless won three of their last five away matches in all competitions, keeping two clean sheets during that run.
Torreense vs. Ararat-Armenia preview: Hosts target second-ever European victory
Torreense vs. Ararat-Armenia — Tale of the Tape
| Torreense Liga Portugal 2 |
vs | Ararat-Armenia Armenian Premier League |
|---|---|---|
| 12th | Position | 2nd |
| 10 | Points | 29 |
| 8 | Goals For | 24 |
| 10 | Goals Against | 10 |
| 4 | Clean Sheets | 5 |
| 15th / 11th | Home / Away Rank | 2nd / 2nd |
Despite currently competing in the second tier of Portuguese football, Torreense have earned a place in an exclusive group of second-division clubs to feature in European competition, having narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight for the first time since the 1991-92 campaign.
Led by Joao Nuno, the Blue-and-Garnets secured their place in the 2026-27 Europa League league phase by defeating Sporting CP 2-1 in the Portuguese Cup final, producing one of the biggest upsets in European football that season.
That triumph represented the first major trophy in the club's 109-year history, although they were unable to follow it up with promotion.
Torreense are therefore balancing European commitments with their Liga Portugal 2 campaign, and the demanding schedule may be taking its toll, with Nuno's men currently sitting 12th after collecting just 10 points from nine matches.
Their domestic struggles have not prevented them from making their mark in Europe, however, as goals from Alejandro Alfaro and Manuel Pozo inspired a famous 2-1 victory away to Lillestrom in Sweden, giving the Portuguese outfit their first-ever win in European competition.
Defeats to Premier League side Sunderland and Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros have followed, though, leaving them eager to get their campaign back on track.
Ararat-Armenia, meanwhile, arrive in Portugal with a rather different domestic outlook, as Tulipa's side sit second in the Armenian Premier League with 29 points from 12 matches, despite occupying bottom spot in the Europa League standings.
The visitors have suffered just two more defeats in Europe than they have in their domestic campaign, while remarkably conceding more goals across their three continental fixtures than they have in 12 league outings.
Tulipa's men secured their place in the league phase through the qualifying rounds after winning the Armenian Premier League for the third time in their history, but they have so far struggled to carry that domestic success onto the European stage.
Heavy defeats to Sparta Prague, Jagiellonia and AZ have left the Yerevan-based outfit with 11 goals conceded and just two scored.
No other side has shipped more goals in the league phase, while only three teams have found the net fewer times, highlighting the scale of their attacking and defensive problems in Europe.
Torreense vs. Ararat-Armenia form guide & betting tips
| Torreense | vs | Ararat-Armenia |
|---|---|---|
LLLWD |
Form | WLWWW |
| 3 | Goals For | 10 |
| 7 | Goals Against | 7 |
WLL |
Europa League Form | LLL |
Whispers predicts: Torreense 2-1 Ararat-Armenia
Although Torreense head into Thursday's encounter in poor form, their performances in the early stages of the Europa League have been more encouraging than those of their visitors, and we expect the Portuguese side to claim a second European victory.
A home win is currently priced at 3/4, while our predicted 2-1 scoreline is available at 15/2.
Given our prediction, Over 2.5 Goals and Both Teams to Score – Yes also appeal, with those selections priced at 1/1 and 19/20 respectively.
Manuel Pozo has already scored twice in the competition, and the Torreense forward is currently priced at 3/4 to get on the scoresheet again on Thursday night.
> Torreense to win at 3/4 | Likelihood: Likely
> Manuel Pozo to score anytime at 3/4 | Likelihood: Likely
> Over 2.5 goals at 1/1 | Likelihood: Possible
> Both Teams to Score – Yes at 19/20 | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct score of 2-1 at 15/2 | Likelihood: Outsider