Northern Irish Premiership side Linfield head to Estonia on Thursday for the first leg of their UEFA Conference League first qualifying round tie against Nomme Kalju, who are already deep into their domestic campaign.
While Linfield have had a friendly against Scottish Premiership Kilmarnock to prepare for their trip east, their hosts are halfway through their domestic season, which could leave them to enjoy a fitness advantage as they take their first step to what they hope will be a place in the group stage.
Nomme Kalju v Linfield Tips Summary
Best Bet - Nomme Kalju to win @ 19/20
Alternative Bet - Under 2.5 goals @ 13/20
Double - Draw at half-time & Nomme Kalju to score one or two goals @ 12/5
Nomme Kalju v Linfield Prediction
Best Bet: Nomme Kalju to win @ 19/20
This looks like a UEFA Conference League first qualifying round tie where small margins could be key and Linfield will probably not envy the fact they are taking on a team who have played half of their domestic season.
Things are progressing nicely for Nomme Kalju as they sit third in the Estonian top flight and they have won 10 of their 19 matches, so they should be firmly in the mood to make life difficult for their visitors.
Their most recent match ended in a 3-1 victory over Nomme United and that should stand them in good stead against a side who have had one notable friendly and are still weeks away from getting their domestic season in action.
Kalju are far from prolific, but they are just a little further down the line and could have too much for Linfield, who won just one of their final eight away assignments of last season.
Alternative Bet: Under 2.5 goals @ 13/20
While the home side hold an advantage, this may not be a game that features a host of goals.
While 19 goals for Kalju in 10 home league matches look impressive, seven of those came in the same game against Nomme United and it is perhaps their defending that is the most impressive aspect of their game.
They have conceded 16 goals in 19 league games, which is the same number as leaders Levadia, who are 12 points better off, so their visitors from the Northern Irish Premiership could have their work cut out.
However, it is also notable that only league winners Larne conceded fewer goals than them last season.
Linfield’s goal was breached on 24 occasions in their 33 league games so it would be a surprise if defences did not hold sway.
Don’t expect to witness more than two goals being scored in this one.
Nomme Kalju v Linfield Bet Builder Tip
Half-time draw
Nomme Kalju to score one or two goals
Pays 12/5
Indications are that this could prove a cagey game with defences holding the edge and it could take a while to kick into action, so it is worth taking a chance that affairs will be even when we reach half-time.
Few goals are expected but it could be the home side who make the greater progress in the final third.
Nomme Kalju are far from prolific but it is worth chancing that they will score one or two goals which could provide them with an advantage when they head to Northern Ireland for next week’s second leg.
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Key Match Stats
Both teams have scored in Nomme Kalju’s last six games
Three of Nomme Kalju’s last five matches have finished as 1-1 draws
Nomme Kalju have scored more than once in just one of their last seven home outings
Linfield have won one of their last six away matches
Dungannon are the only team Linfield have beaten in their last eight games
Linfield had the second tightest defence in the Northern Irish Premiership last season, conceding 24 goals in 33 matches
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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.
