Sturm Graz vs Lille Prediction & Betting Tips - Conference League

Prediction published on 07/03/2024, 04:45  by Sridhar in Conference League Predictions

In their first UEFA knockout since 2000/01, Sturm Graz have a tricky tie against Lille, with the first leg set at home. This match will be played at the Merkur Arena in Graz on Thursday. The last time Sturm made it to springtime European football was in 2000/01, when they made it to the second group stage of the Champions League. They had a lucky break at that too, after coming third in Group D of their Europa League competition. It was only the overall goal difference that gave them an edge and, thus, a place in the knockout playoffs of the Conference League. It was a comprehensive 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava that gave them a ticket to this round of 16, with a 4-1 home win being the highlight. They followed that win with two more wins in the domestic league, so confidence should be high that they can continue the momentum. To go with that, they are unbeaten in three home matches against French sides, winning two and drawing one.

Lille came through the group stages, topping Group A with 14 points through four wins and two draws. They are making their debut in this competition and will bank on their impressive defensive record from the group stages. Lille kept four clean sheets in their six group games of this competition and are unbeaten in their eight Conference League matches, including qualifiers. Recent form is a bit patchy, with three defeats from their last five matches, but most of those defeats have come against top French clubs. They wouldn’t mind coming back with at least a point from this trip and setting themselves up for the home leg. In fact, they had three draws and a win in this year’s Conference League away from home.