Motherwell vs HJK Predictions
Motherwell host HJK in the second leg of their Conference League third qualifying-round tie on Thursday.
The Steelmen looked like the better side in Finland and should be confident of completing the job in Lanarkshire.
I have my stake on Motherwell to secure a second-leg victory, while I also expect less than three goals at Fir Park.
Motherwell Backed at Fir Park
- Motherwell won 4 of their last 6 matches (competitive fixtures)
- Motherwell have seen under 2.5 goals in 4 of their last 6 matches (competitive fixtures)
- HJK have seen under 2.5 goals in 4 of their last 6 matches (competitive fixtures)
- HJK lost 4 of their last 6 away matches (European competitions)
First Meeting Finishes Deadlocked
Motherwell and HJK met for the first time in last week’s Conference League third qualifying-round first leg. Motherwell secured a 1-1 draw in Helsinki.
Motherwell Extend Unbeaten Run
Motherwell return to Conference League qualification action after a goalless draw against Falkirk in the Premiership last weekend.
In an evenly balanced contest, both teams could have taken all three points at Fir Park. The Well had 11 efforts and an xG of 1.27 but failed to break the Bairns' resistance.
The Scots now face the second leg of their Conference League third-round qualifier after an encouraging first-leg performance.
Alfred Johansson’s side created plenty of chances in Finland, striking both the post and crossbar before being awarded a penalty following a VAR intervention.
Tawanda Maswanhise opened the scoring from the spot before veteran forward Teemu Pukki restored parity.
The Lanarkshire side remain unbeaten under new boss Johansson, winning three and drawing two of their first five competitive fixtures.
Motherwell began their European campaign with a 5-0 aggregate victory against HB Torshavn before claiming an impressive 2-1 Premiership win at Hibernian.
HJK Keep Tie Level
HJK make the trip to Scotland after maintaining their own unbeaten run with a narrow 1-0 win at Oulu in the Veikkausliiga.
Mouhamed Gueye’s goal just before half-time secured a deserved road victory for Joonas Rantanen’s men.
The Finnish side have been in decent form in the past month, recording five wins while losing just one of seven matches across all competitions.
Defensively strong, HJK kept clean sheets in four of their last six matches, but did concede three in a surprise domestic defeat at SJK earlier this month.
A poor Euro road record is an issue of concern for the Finns. Rantanen’s side failed to win 19 successive continental away fixtures before a 3-0 win at Coleraine in the second round of Conference League qualification.-
Motherwell vs HJK Team News
Motherwell: (4-3-3) Alex Paulsen; Tom Sparrow, Jake Girdwood-Reich, Martin Moormann, Ewan Wilson; Dylan Williams, Lukas Fadinger, Oscar Priestman; Willy Vogt, Tawanda Maswanhise, Ibrahim Said.
Head coach Johansson has a strong squad available with only one expected absentee. Dylan Williams remains an injury doubt for the Steelmen.
Alex Paulsen should continue in goal after making several important first-leg saves.
Tawanda Maswanhise is expected to retain his place after scoring from the penalty spot, while Ibrahim Said is available after missing the trip to Finland because of a visa issue.
Speaking after last week’s draw in Finland, Johansson praised his side's performance.
"I think it was a good performance. I'm very, very proud of the players.
"The players started to be even more brave in their decision-making [in the second half]. It's mainly the players who decided to say 'let's play'. They were more aggressive in the press, which allows you to recover more balls higher up the pitch, which makes you feel more confident.
"The players turned up the heat a little bit, and that was good to see."
HJK: (4-3-3) Matej Markovic; Kaius Simojoki, Ville Tikkanen, Amara Nallo, Leonel Montano; Pyry Mentu, Alexander Ring, Lucas Lingman; Liam Moller, Teemu Pukki, Toivo Mero.
Head coach Rantanen is likely to revert to much of the same XI that started last week’s first-leg contest in Helsinki.
Rantanen could hand Pukki a starting place after his goalscoring substitute appearance in the first leg.
Alexander Ring and Lucas Lingman are expected to retain their places in midfield, while Liverpool loanee Amara Nallo should continue in central defence.