Olimpija Ljubljana take on the visitors Valmiera in the first leg of 1/8-finals in UEFA Champions League qualification playoffs. The match will be played on Tuesday, June 11th at Stadion Stožice (Ljubljana).
After 5 years, Olimpija Ljubljana have once again become the best team in Slovenia. It's worth mentioning that the team achieved this title after a conflict with their own fans, who were unhappy with the resignation of Savo Milošević at the beginning of the previous season and his replacement with Russian-Spanish coach Albert Riera. However, the resident of Omsk quickly justified the fans' trust as the green and whites led throughout the season and deservedly finished ahead of Celje by 6 points. The team plays in a fairly balanced manner and is already actively preparing for the Champions League qualification this season. They have played 6 friendlies so far, winning 5 of them with 1 defeat. These include a 1-0 victory against Hajduk, 3-2 against Radomlje, 4-1 against Rudar, 4-2 against Primorje, and a 1-2 loss to Slovan Bratislava. Overall, Riera's team has thoroughly prepared for the start of the Champions League.
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Valmiera became the Latvian champions for the first time last season but is almost certain not to defend their title this year. The black and whites are currently in 3rd place in the current championship, trailing Riga by nearly 20 points. Before their trip to Ljubljana, they defeated Tukums 6-0 in the national championship, although they were unable to win in the previous three rounds. It is evident that they will play defensively in Slovenia and wait for their chances on counter-attacks, but there is not much belief in the Latvian team.
I believe that this is an ideal situation to play in favor of the home team through the low defense. Overall, they are stronger than the Latvian champions, but they should be prepared to break through the opponent's compact defense with positional attacks. Riera's team may not be very prolific in such situations, but their individual skills and class should make a difference. Therefore, a 1-0 or 2-0 victory in favor of Olimpija seems to be the most likely outcome of the match.
Prediction for the match: Olimpija to win an Under 3.5 scored goals.
