Hajduk Split and Ruzomberok go head-to-head in the second leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round on Thursday. With last week’s reverse leg ending all square, a place in the quarter-finals remains up for grabs and we anticipate a thrilling contest at the Poljud Stadium.
Hajduk Split failed to make it two wins from their first two games in the Croatian HNL as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Lokomotiva Zagreb at the weekend.
This followed a goalless draw with Ruzomberok in the first leg of their Conference League third qualifying round clash in Slovakia on August 8.
Hajduk Split will be backing themselves to secure the desired result on Thursday as they return home, where they have won all but one of their last five competitive matches while scoring 21 goals and conceding four since late April.
Ruzomberok, on the other hand, returned to winning ways in style as they edged out Trencin 1-0 when the two teams faced off in the Slovakian top flight last Sunday.
Before that, Ondrej Smetana’s men were on a five-game winless streak — losing three and claiming two draws — a run which saw them crash out of the Europa League qualifiers in the second round courtesy of a 3-0 aggregate defeat against Trabzonspor.
Ruzomberok will follow Thursday’s game with a clash against Kormano in the Slovakian Nike Liga, where they will be looking to improve on last season’s fifth-placed finish.
Hajduk Split vs Ruzomberok Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the second meeting between Hajduk Split and Ruzomberok, with their first encounter coming in last week’s reverse leg, where they played out a goalless draw.
- Ruzomberok have won just one of their last six matches in all competitions while losing three and picking up two draws since mid-July.
- Hajduk Split are unbeaten in their last 10 matches across all competitions, claiming six wins and four draws since a 1-0 loss against Kalcer Radomlje on July 3.
- Ruzomberok have failed to win their last six competitive away matches, losing four and picking up two draws since mid-April.
Hajduk Split vs Ruzomberok Prediction
While Ruzomberok will be looking to upset the hosts, their form on the road leaves a lot to be desired and we see them struggling at the Poljud Stadium.
That said, we predict the Croatian outfit will secure the win and make it three home victories on the bounce this season.
Prediction: Hajduk Split 2-0 Ruzomberok
Hajduk Split vs Ruzomberok Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Hajduk Split to win
Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals - No (There have been fewer than three goals scored in four of Hajduk Split’s last five games)
Tip 3: Over 4.5 cards - No (There have also been fewer than five bookings in five of the hosts’ last seven matches)
