Partizani take on the visitors BATE in the first leg of 1/8-finals in UEFA Champions League qualification playoffs. The match will be played on Tuesday, June 11th at Arena Kombetare (Tirana).
Partizani will try to win the opening match. The Red Bulls were formed in early 1946 and already in the following year became the champions of Albania for the first time. It wasn't always successful, but they managed to win their 17th title in the spring. However, they have had little international success, especially if we disregard their victory in the Balkans Cup back in 1970. They have never managed to defeat the second opponent in European competitions. For example, in 2021, the Albanians dealt with Moldovan side Sfîntul (5-2 and 3-2), but then lost convincingly to Basel without any chance, conceding five unanswered goals in 180+ minutes. Last summer ended even quicker: they exchanged 1-0 victories with Saburtalo, but ultimately lost to the Georgians in a penalty shootout.
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BATE are an unexpected participant in this Champions League. BATE were undoubtedly the number one force in Belarusian football. In 2018, they secured their 15th gold in the local Premier League. Additionally, BATE have repeatedly played in the group stage of the Champions League. However, in the same year, the director of the company with the same name, Anatoli Kapski, passed away, and he was essentially the father of the club's successes. Since then, the results have only worsened, both internationally (where they have been eliminated in the first round three times) and domestically. They had three consecutive silver finishes, and last year, they settled for third place. Only a scandal involving match-fixing in Belarus, which resulted in punishments for both Shakhtyor Soligorsk and Energetik-BGU, allowed them to return to the Champions League qualification. The club from Borisov entered this stage in a poor form: a defeat in the national cup final and weak performances in the Premier League, even compared to 2022.
In Tirana, the teams will play against each other for the first time in their history. The odds indicate a slight advantage for the away team. However, they are not impressive, so it is worth considering the option of a draw no bet on the victory of the home team in Albania.
Prediction for the match: Partizani to win with 0.0 handicap.
