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Maribor host Differdange at the Ljudski Vrt Stadium in Slovenia on Thursday for the second leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round.
The tie is finely poised right now as the sides played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg last week, with Maribor equalizing deep inside stoppage time.
Erico Castro opened the scoring for Differdange in the 25th minute and, with Maribor struggling to find the back of the net for long, it seemed like it was enough to earn them a win.
However, the Slovenian team's persistence paid off at the end, as Arnel Jakupovic struck for them in the sixth minute of extra time to force a draw and leave the tie in the balance.
It's all to play for in Maribor, and the Purples will feel confident of their chances, having also started their league campaign on a strong note.
With two wins from two, Maribor are at the top of the Slovenian PrvaLiga table with six points. A 4-0 drubbing of Radomlje on the road was followed by a 1-0 win over Aluminij.
Luxembourg side Differdange only played two friendly games before the first leg, but won both. With their top-flight campaign not starting until the weekend, Paolo Amodio's side have got enough time to rest and recuperate for the decider.
Maribor vs FC Differdange Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- Maribor and Differdange meet for only the second time in their history.
- Maribor have played clubs from Luxembourg on five occasions and won four of those encounters (all 4 coming against Dudelange).
- Maribor are unbeaten in three official games this season.
- Maribor star Arnel Jakupovic has scored in all three of their games so far this season (5 in total).
- Maribor have won just one of their last nine games in the European qualifiers.
- Differdange have never played in a major European tournament before.
Maribor vs FC Differdange Prediction
Maribor's European record in recent times isn't great but they have started the new season in a rich vein of form. This holds them in good stead against the minnows from Luxembourg, whose defense isn't equipped to deal with their in-form forward, Arnel Jakupovic.
Prediction: Maribor 2-0 FC Differdange
Maribor vs FC Differdange Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Maribor to win
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No
