Motherwell welcome Bundesliga side Freiburg to Fir Park on Thursday night for the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off round tie.
The Well have defeated HB Torshavn of the Faroe Islands and Finnish side HJK Helsinki to reach this stage of qualifying but will be big underdogs against the Germans.
Freiburg reached the UEFA Europa League final last season, losing to Aston Villa, and finished seventh in the Bundesliga so are well-fancied to progress to the league phase of the competition.
Motherwell v Freiburg Tips Summary
Best Bet - Freiburg to win @ 19/50
Alternative Bet - Over 2.5 goals @ 4/7
Bet Builder - Igor Matanovic anytime goalscorer, over seven corners & Freiburg to win both halves @ 9/1
Motherwell vs Freiburg Prediction
Best Bet: Freiburg to win @ 19/50
Freiburg showed their quality to reach the UEFA Europa League final last season and will be confident of beating Motherwell over two legs in order to reach the UEFA Conference League.
The Breisgau Brazilians defeated Braga, Celta Vigo and RB Salzburg in Europe during the 2025/26 campaign while also earning league wins over RB Leipzig and Stuttgart and holding Borussia Dortmund.
That’s the level of opposition Motherwell are coming up against on Thursday and the Germans will be eager to take charge of the tie by recording a first leg victory in Scotland.
The Well have impressed in wins over HB Torshavn and HJK Helsinki but it may well be that, such is the step up, that facing Freiburg in the play-off round proves a step too far.
Freiburg are yet to play a competitive game this season but have beaten Derby County, Strasbourg and Crystal Palace during pre-season.
While Motherwell have played seven matches, including two Scottish Premiership fixtures, and are well up to speed, the Germans should still have enough to win on Thursday night.
Alternative Bet: Over 2.5 goals @ 4/7
Five of Motherwell’s matches this campaign have featured two goals or fewer but there are likely to be more scored when Freiburg come to Fir Park.
The Germans netted three goals against Palace on Saturday and a double over Derby and should create a number of chances on Thursday.
The Well have kept four clean sheets this season but are unlikely to record a shutout against their Bundesliga opponents who scored 51 times in the German top-flight last season.
A much-changed Motherwell side lost to Championship Stenhousemuir in the Premier Sports Cup on Sunday and so a response from the first-team regulars will be needed.
With the strongest side out, the Scots will be hopeful to at least grab a goal in front of their own fans, with a set-piece the likeliest route from which to find the net.
Motherwell have scored eight goals in their four Conference League matches so far and Freiburg haven’t kept a clean sheet in a competitive game since April.
The Germans should outscore the Well however, having drawn a blank just twice in their last 15 competitive matches.
Nine of Freiburg’s last 10 games have featured three or more goals and so backing over 2.5 goals could prove a smart bet.
Motherwell vs Freiburg Bet Builder Tip
Igor Matanovic anytime goalscorer
Over seven corners
Freiburg to win both halves
Pays 9/1
Freiburg forward Igor Matanovic appeared at the World Cup for Croatia this summer, coming off the bench against England. The striker is highly-rated and scored 15 goals in 50 matches for the Bresigau Brazilians last season.
After a busy summer, Matanovic is back, starting in the friendly win over Crystal Palace and will be eager to get on the scoresheet against Motherwell.
The Well have conceded a total of eleven corners in two Scottish Premiership games this month while Freiburg matches in the UEFA Europa League last season featured an average of nine. With that in mind, backing over seven corners looks a sound pick when the teams meet on Thursday.
Freiburg will look to swiftly assert their dominance at Fir Park and an early goal would put the German side in the driving seat. Julian Schuster's men should take control from the off and are capable of winning both halves in the first leg.
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Key Match Stats
Motherwell have scored eight goals in four UEFA Conference League qualifying matches
Freiburg have finished in the Bundesliga top 10 for seven straight seasons
Motherwell's last European match with a German side was against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Cup in 1994
Freiburg were the second-top scorers in the UEFA Europa League last season, netting 25 goals
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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.
