Connah's Quay Nomads showed great improvement in the Welsh Premier League after John Disney took over, but they look set to have their work cut out to get their Conference League campaign off to a winning start against Kosovan outfit Ballkani.
The Nomads finished second in their league last term, but have often struggled to replicate their domestic form on the European stage and they have been handed a difficult first-qualifying-round tie against a team who made the group stage of the competition in 2022 and 2023.
Connah's Quay Nomads v Ballkani Tips Summary
Best Bet - Ballkani to win & over 2.5 goals @ 6/5
Alternative Bet - Ballkani to win 2-1 @ 8/1
Bet Builder - Both teams to score & Ballkani/Ballkani half-time/full-time @ 9/2
Connah's Quay Nomads v Ballkani Prediction
Best Bet: Ballkani to win & over 2.5 goals @ 6/5
Connah's Quay Nomads gave The New Saints most to think about in last season's Welsh Premier League, but while the runners-up will anticipate a strong challenge for the title in the forthcoming season, they may not improve upon a poor recent record in European matches.
The Nomads are in Conference League action on Wednesday in the first qualifying round and Kosovan outfit Ballkani could prove difficult opponents.
It is seven seasons since they pulled off a great shock by knocking Scottish Premiership Kilmarnock out of the qualifying rounds of the Europa League, but they have failed to come out on top of a tie in six attempts since.
After an indifferent end to their league campaign when they won just two of their final 11 matches, John Disney's side face a tough game.
The Nomads may take some solace from the fact Ballkani were knocked out of the competition by Northern Ireland's Larne two seasons ago and by League of Ireland Shamrock Rovers last term, but in the two campaigns before that, the Kosovans came through three qualification rounds to make the group stage.
Connah's Quay did win the home leg the last time they faced Kosovan opposition in Prishtina in 2021, but their poor end of the season may provide a bit of a hangover.
There looks set to be goals as Connah's Quay tend to find the net at home, but the visitors coming out on top of a match featuring at least three successful strikes looks the way forward.
Alternative Bet: Ballkani to win 2-1 @ 8/1
A correct-score bet on a 2-1 away victory looks justified, which was the score Connah's Quay went down to the last time they entertained Welsh Premier champions The New Saints in March.
The title holders represent opposition as near to the one the Nomads face on Wednesday and while the home side scored in each home game in the league last season, Ballkani may prove to just have a little too much.
Connah's Quay Nomads v Ballkani Bet Builder Tip
Both teams to score
Ballkani-Ballkani half-time/full-time
Pays @ 9/2
Although Connah's Quay may be in for a struggle after being handed such a tough draw, the Welsh Premier League side should still be able to find the net.
That happened in each of their home matches during the last league campaign and they will be hungry to make a strong start in what is their opening competitive match of the season.
Goals look set to be on the agenda and while the hosts should be relied upon to find the net, they could find themselves up against it from an early stage.
Ballkani look set to hit the ground running and there looks a strong chance that they will go into the interval ahead, so take the visitors to complete the job in the first leg after leading at half-time.
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Key Match Stats
Connah's Quay Nomads won just two of their final 11 games of the last Welsh Premier League season
Both teams scored in Connah's Quay's last six league matches of the campaign
The Welsh Premier side have not come through their last six ties in European competition
Connah's Quay kept just one clean sheet in their final 11 games of their most recent league season
Ballkani were the top goalscorers in the Kosovan Superleague last season with 61 goals in their 36 matches
Ballkani made it through to the group stage of the Conference League in 2022 and 2023
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
