Shkëndija vs Ludogorets Prediction and Betting Tips

Shkëndija will be up against Ludogorets at the National Arena Todor Proeski on Thursday in the first leg of their 2025-26 UEFA Europa League playoff round qualifying clash. Both teams will be keen to get a solid headstart in the tie and improve their chances of making it into the main stages of the tournament.

Shkëndija went past The New Saints and FCSB in the Champions League qualification rounds before losing 6-1 on aggregate to Qarabag in the third round and will look to earn a place in the Europa League instead. The Ballists have appeared in the preliminary stages of European football in 13 of the last 14 seasons but are yet to make their debut in the main stages of any of the three UEFA competitions.

Ludogorets have experienced a similar fate this season, having defeated Dinamo Minsk and Rijeka before losing 3-0 on aggregate to Ferencvaros in the third round of the Champions League qualifiers, leading to their relegation to the Europa League qualifiers. The Bulgarian side have only lost one of their last 11 games going into the midweek and will hope to get an advantage by getting a result away from home.

Shkëndija vs Ludogorets Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

Thursday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between the two sides.
Shkëndija have appeared in the playoff rounds of the Europa League in three different seasons and have lost each of their six games played at this stage.
Ludogorets have made it as far as the Round of 32 of the Europa League on four different occasions, most recently in the 2019-20 season.
The North Macedonian hosts have scored eight goals in two league games played so far this season while their Bulgarian counterparts have scored 11 in five.

Shkëndija vs Ludogorets Prediction

Ballistët are underdogs going into the midweek clash and will need to be at their best to get a result but will receive a boost from being in their home country and hope that will prove enough to avoid defeat.

The Eagles will be hoping to get a win away from home but will likely be satisfied with a draw to leave the tie to be decided in their home stadium next week.

Prediction: Shkëndija 2-2 Ludogorets

Shkëndija vs Ludogorets Betting Tips

Tip 1 - Result: Draw

Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (Four of Shkëndija’s last six games have produced more than 2.5 goals)

Tip 3 - Both teams to score: Yes (Both teams have gotten on the scoresheet in four of Shkëndija's last six games)

About the author

Jedidiah is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda, who has been covering match previews for more than 3 years. Currently pursuing an engineering degree from the University of Ibadan, he conducts thorough research and ensures to be up-to-date with football news across the globe to create the most accurate previews.

A Manchester United fan, Jedidiah fell in love with football and the Red Devils since their UEFA Champions League triumph over Chelsea in 2008. He is a big fan of Robert Lewandowski and his historic performances from 2020, but feels that only Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are capable of replicating the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry. His all-time favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti due to the Italian's remarkable composure in difficult moments of a contest. Spain's 1-0 win over Netherlands in the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is etched in his memory forever.

A true student of the game, Jedidiah relishes identifying hidden gems from lower-tiered leagues such as the EFL Championship and the Eredivisie. When not creating previews, he likes playing football and reading books.

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