Shkendija vs Haverfordwest Prediction and Betting Tips

Shkendija welcome Haverfordwest to Tose Proeski Arena in the UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round first leg on Thursday (July 13).

The hosts are in their third campaign, while Haverfordwest are making their first. Shkendija reached the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round last season, losing to Swedish giants AIK. In their maiden participation in 2021-22, they made to the second qualifying round.

Kuq e Zi finished third in the 2022–23 Macedonian First Football League to qualify for the Conference League. They have played three friendlies in preparation of their continental campaign, winning against Petrolul 52 and Rogaska and losing to Sarajevo.

Haverfordwest, meanwhile, concluded the 2022–23 Cymru Premier season – the Welsh top flight - below the direct qualification spot, in seventh. However, they won the qualification playoffs against Newtown to book their place in the Conference League qualifiers.

The Bluebirds failed to impress in two preceding warm-up games, losing against Larne (2-0) and Penybont (1-0). The visitors will miss the services of key centre-back and captain Dylan Rees, who's still recovering from a cruciate ligament injury. Seven new players have joined the outfit in the summer.

Shkendija vs Haverfordwest Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

The two teams will meet each other for the first time.
Shkendija have won thrice, drawn once and lost once in their last five home games.
Shkendija have scored eight goals against five conceded in their last five games.
Haverfordwest have won thrice and lost twice in their last five away outings.
Shkendija and Haverfordwest have respectively won thrice and lost twice in their last five games.
Form Guide: Shkendija: L-W-W-W-L; Haverfordwest: L-L-W-W-W

Shkendija vs Haverfordwest Prediction

Shkendija new signing Zija Merdjani will play no part in the clash after sustaining an injury during training.

Ljupcho Doriev and Eraldo Cinari played crucial roles for Shkendija last season, scoring 11 and eight goals respectively, while Adenis Shala delivered nine assists. The trio will man their attack once again.

Meanwhile, Jordan Davies was a top performer for Haverfordwest last season, leading their scoring charts with 12 goals. He was convinced to remain at the club amid interest from top teams. Davies is expected to lead their upcoming European campaign.

Shkendija’s experience in UEFA competitions and home advantage, though, will likely give them an edge over Haverfordwest.

Prediction: Shkendija 3-1 Haverfordwest

Shkendija vs Haverfordwest Betting Tips

Tip 1: Result – Shkendija

Tip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals – Yes

Tip 3: Shkendija to score first – Yes

Tip 4: Haverfordwest to score - Yes

About the author

Kingsley is a seasoned European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda who covers match previews. He holds a Bachelor’s degree. in Communication and has a mammoth 29 years of experience in the field, with his work being featured in the BBC, Al Jazeera, GOAL, Supersports, and more. He has also done the on-site coverage of six different editions of the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup once in 2006.

Kingsley’s interest in the game blossomed playing street football at nine years old, and ultimately went on to play football professionally as a defender. His favorite football team is Barcelona as he simply adores their ‘Tiki-Taka’ style of play, and their incredible 6-1 comeback win against PSG in the 2016-17 Champions League Round of 16 is his most memorable football match till date. His all-time favorite player is Lionel Messi and admires the style of play of Pep Guardiola’s teams.

Kingsley places a high emphasis on original content. Outside of European football, he also likes following the MLS, Liga MX, and the Brazilian Serie A. In his free time, Kingsley likes to listen to music and explore the world of photography.

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