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Birkirkara will invite Petrocub to the MFA Centenary Stadium in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League first qualifying round on Thursday. The hosts have never qualified for a UEFA competition, while the White-Blacks made it to the league phase of the Conference League last season.
Stripes did not make it to the European qualifiers last season and were eliminated from the first round in the 2023-24 Conference League qualifiers. They met Hibernians in a friendly last week and registered a 4-2 home win.
The visitors had begun their qualification campaign in the UEFA Champions League last season and eventually made it to the Conference League, qualifying for the league phase of a UEFA competition for the first time in history. They made it two wins in a row last week with a 2-1 home triumph over Politehnica Chișinău in the Moldovan National Division.
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Birkirkara vs Petrocub Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams will meet for the first time.
- The hosts will meet a Moldovan team for the first time in a competitive match.
- The White-Blacks have met a Maltese team twice, with both meetings taking place against Floriana in the Conference League qualifiers in the 2021-22 campaign. They were unbeaten in these meetings, recording a home win and playing out a goalless draw in the reverse fixture.
- Stripes have two wins, two defeats, and two draws in their last six competitive games.
- The visitors are unbeaten in their last four competitive games, recording three wins.
- The White-Blacks are winless in their last six away games in European qualifiers. They have also failed to score in these games.
Birkirkara vs Petrocub Prediction
Stripes will play their first competitive match of the season and might be a bit rusty. They have lost just one of their last five competitive home games. Notably, they have scored one goal apiece in four games in that period.
The White-Blacks are unbeaten in their three games this season, thus far, conceding one goal apiece in all of them. Interestingly, they have won just one of their six away games in the Conference League qualifiers and will look to improve upon that record.
The visitors' experience in European qualifiers gives them an advantage here, and they should be able to record a narrow win.
Prediction: Birkirkara 0-2 Petrocub
Birkirkara vs Petrocub Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Petrocub to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Under 2.5 goals
Tip 3: Both teams to score - No
Tip 4: At least one goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
