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Brighton & Hove Albion start the new season with the first leg of their Conference League play-off against Tromso IL at the Romssa Arena on Thursday evening.
The Seagulls will play the return leg at the AMEX Stadium next week, after hosting their Premier League opener against Aston Villa this weekend.
Meanwhile, Tromso's league season is already well underway, and they beat CFR Cluj 7-1 on aggregate in the previous qualifying round.
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.
Tromso IL vs. Brighton & Hove Albion key stats
- Tromso have won three of their last four games in all competitions (L1).
- Brighton won all three of their pre-season friendlies.
- Both teams have never played in the Conference League proper.
Tromso IL vs. Brighton & Hove Albion preview: Seagulls to seal win?
Tromso vs Brighton — Tale of the Tape
| Tromso | vs | Brighton |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd (Eliteserien) | Position | 5th (Premier League) |
| 34 | Points | 0 |
| 34 | Goals For | 0 |
| 20 | Goals Against | 0 |
| 8 | Clean Sheets | 0 |
| 3rd | Home / Away Rank | 5th |
Having finished third last season behind Viking FK and Bodo/Glimt, Tromso are in the same position in the Eliteserien this term.
However, they have the chance to play in the knockout stage of European competition for the first time since exiting the Europa League at the group stage in 2013/14.
Jorgen Vik knows how big the task is at hand against Brighton though, with three of the Conference League's past five winners being Premier League teams, including the last two.
Tromso may also be without first-choice goalkeeper Jakob Haugaard due to injury, making their quest to get a positive result in the first leg even tougher.
Brighton are bidding to play European football for the first time since 2023/24, where they competed in the Europa League.
The Seagulls finished eighth in the Premier League last season, ahead of more traditional top-eight teams like Chelsea and Tottenham.
Fabian Hurzeler is doing a stellar job on the south coast, and despite losing key players like Danny Welbeck and Jan Paul van Hecke, he has been backed with the astute signings of Pascal Struijk and Luka Vuskovic among others.
Carlos Baleba, Stefanos Tzimas and Kaoru Mitoma are all fitness doubts though for this one, while Yankuba Minteh has been ruled out with a long-term injury.
Tromso IL vs. Brighton & Hove Albion form guide & betting tips
| Tromso | vs | Brighton |
|---|---|---|
LWWWL |
Form | LLWWW |
| 16 | Goals For | 8 |
| 9 | Goals Against | 7 |
WW |
Conference League | N/A |
Whispers predicts: Tromso IL 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton are 13/20 (1.65) favourites to win, but while we side with the bookies, we want to explore some more ambitious bets.
Our first pick is BTTS – Yes at 31/40 (1.78), as with 16 goals scored in their last five games, we feel Tromso will also carry a threat.
With Welbeck gone, it leaves a pathway for Georginio Rutter to start up front, and after scoring and assisting in Brighton's 3-0 friendly win over Roma, we fancy Rutter to score anytime at 23/10 (3.30).
Overall, we are predicting a Correct score – 1-2 at 15/2 (8.50), as we feel Brighton will just edge the first leg with their quality.
> BTTS – Yes at 31/40 (1.78) | Likelihood: Probable
> Rutter to score anytime at 23/10 (3.30) | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct score – 1-2 at 15/2 (8.50) | Likelihood: Outsider