Ruzomberok take on the visitors Kauno Zalgiris in the first leg of round of 16 in UEFA Conference League qualification. The match will be played on Thursday, July 7th at Štadión pod Čebraťom (Ruzomberok).
Ruzomberok showed its peak in 2006. Then the team, which had not really won anything before, scored a “golden double” at once, having perfectly celebrated its centennial anniversary. That's just to repeat at least partially such a triumph does not work. There was not a single cup anymore (although in 2018 and 2020 they played in the final, but lost both times there), not to mention the championship. And only according to the results of the last draw, the “Roses” came to the finish line second, showing the best result in a decade and a half. This gives the right to return to European competition. The last time the Slovaks participated there in 2020, but they immediately lost 0-3 to Servette. The best time in the international arena was the summer of 2018, when both Vojvodina and Brann were defeated, and only Everton stopped the team, having managed to beat it twice with a minimum score - 0-1 each.
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Kauno Zalgiris exist since 2004, and for a long time acted as "Spiris". Only after the players actually entered the structure of the local basketball club, just “Zalgiris”, not only rebranding took place, but also an impulse for further development appeared. In 2015, they managed to make debut in the local “elite” division, the A-League, and even take 5th place there right off the bat. Then, however, twice miraculously escaped from relegation. But in 2020 and 2021, the Green-Whites took the bronze. Now, however, the results are much worse, Zalgiris is only 6th. But at the same time, they have not lost for 5 rounds in a row. The current start in European competition will be the 4th in history, and in a row. If the first 2 attempts were frankly unsuccessful (first 0-2 and 0-4 with Apollo, and then 1-6 with Boude-Glimt), then in 2021 the Balts took their first success at the international level, having passed the Gibraltar "Europe" (2-0 and 0-0). However, there was further humiliation from the New Saints: the Welsh scored 5 goals in each of the matches.
Both clubs rarely visit European competition and do not stay there. So this will be only their first head-to-head game. Bookmakers are confident in an easy victory for Ruzomberok. But, bearing in mind that the season has not yet begun in Slovakia, but the Lithuanian championship is in full swing, we’d better stop at a bet “total under 3.0”.
Prediction for the match: Under 3.0 scored goals.
