Birkirkara take on the visitors Maribor in the second leg of UEFA Conference League qualification round of 1/8-finals. First leg result: 1-1. The match will be played on Thursday, July 20th at Centenary Stadium (Ta' Qali).
Birkirkara couldn't start the new season with a victory. The Stripes have been champions of the country on multiple occasions. However, the last time they claimed the gold in the Maltese Premier League was as long as 10 years ago, in 2013. Since then, they haven't completely faded away - yes, they couldn't reclaim the top spot, finishing second last season. But they have been successful in winning cups, including during the spring season. Hence, the club actively participates in international competitions. However, their achievements on the European stage have been limited. The best result came in 2016 when they progressed past two opponents, Shkendija and Hearts, but were later defeated 0-3 and 1-3 by Krasnodar. Subsequently, they experienced weaker cycles and, last summer, they barely passed La Fiorita (1-0 and 1-1) but then lost on penalties to Olimpija Ljubljana.
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Maribor are widely considered the symbol of Slovenian football. The Purple team didn't lose its prominence even during the times of the former Yugoslavia. Furthermore, since Slovenia's independence in 1991, they have secured a total of 16 championship titles, the last one being in 2022. They have also experienced success in European competitions, even participating in the main group stage of the Champions League. However, the previous season resulted in a disappointing 3rd place finish - a failure for a club of such stature. Even in the summer of 2022, during the qualification rounds, they were defeated by their first opponents in all three international tournaments. The current season has also begun without much success as they managed only a 1-1 draw at home against Birkirkara, with the equalizing goal coming from a penalty in the 67th minute.
The two clubs first faced each other in the Intertoto Cup in 2007 and fought for qualification in the Champions League ten years ago. So far, Maribor has secured three victories against Birkirkara, with two matches ending in draws. Judging by the odds, experts are confident that the Slovenians will gather themselves and easily win away. However, the Maltese team is not without hope - we are betting on their victory with a +1 goal handicap.
Prediction for the match: Birkirkara to win with +1.0 handicap.
