Glentoran travel to RFS in Latvia for a UEFA Conference League first qualifying round second-leg tie on Thursday with the home side capable of winning on the night but Glentoran can get on the scoresheet once more.
After securing a 2-1 away win in the first leg, RFS go into the tie as clear favourites to progress to the next round of qualification and they are the team with greater recent pedigree when it comes to European football.
Glentoran have had a two-year absence from continental football but a top-three finish in last season’s NIFL Premiership saw them set up this tie with the Latvian league runners-up.
RFS had won back-to-back titles but were edged out by rivals Riga FC by a single point last season, missing out on the chance of UEFA Champions League football but giving themselves an excellent opportunity of going deep in Europe in the Conference League.
RFS v Glentoran Tips Summary
Best Bet - RFS to win and both teams to score @ 2/1
Alternative Bet - Over 3.5 goals @ 6/4
Bet Builder - RFS to win, Glentoran to score over 0.5 goals & under 9 corners @ 13/2
RFS v Glentoran Prediction
Best Bet: RFS to win and both teams to score @ 2/1
Glentoran have not won a match in Europe for over six years, when they narrowly defeated Faroese side HB Torshavn, and after falling to a 2-1 home loss to RFS last time out, they are unlikely to end that run in Latvia.
The side from Riga came close to securing Conference League football last season, having made it through to the league phase for the first time in the 2024/25 campaign, and they have plenty of European qualification experience to draw upon.
A tight 1-0 loss to Malmo in last season’s UEFA Champions League qualification came after a superb win over Ajax in 2024. They have draws with Galatasaray and Anderlecht under their belt from their previous Conference League campaign and only lost by a single goal to European regulars Eintracht Frankfurt and Dynamo Kyiv in the league phase.
Glentoran did well in the home leg to keep it competitive. They got on the scoresheet and had more shots on target than RFS. So, back the Latvians to repeat their win with the Northern Irish side to get on the scoreboard.
Alternative Bet: Over 3.5 goals @ 6/4
Glentoran are a goal behind so at some stage in the tie will have to opt for an attacking approach if they are to stay in European competition.
This could leave them open defensively and RFS have the quality to take advantage. Half of RFS’s last 10 matches have seen four or more goals scored and the Latvians are looking sharp in front of goal, netting 30 in their last 11 games.
Glentoran have conceded 20 times in their last nine European fixtures, expect goals at either end in this second-leg clash.
RFS v Glentoran Bet Builder Tip
RFS to win
Glentoran to score over 0.5 goals
Under 9 corners
Pays 13/2
RFS won the away leg but did not have things all their own way, with Glentoran getting on the scoreboard and making the tie a competitive one for the second leg in Latvia.
The side from Riga were unable to put the tie to bed in Belfast but they have the quality to win inside 90 minutes on home turf and progress to the second round of Conference League qualification.
Having kept themselves in the tie during the first leg, Glentoran will not want to go out without a fight, and the Northern Irish team are capable of grabbing a goal once more.
While the goals may come at either end, corners are expected to be at a relative premium. RFS’s last six fixtures have averaged seven corners per game and only two of them have featured more than seven corner kicks.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Glentoran have not won any of their last six European games
RFS have scored 30 goals in their last 11 matches
Both teams have scored in five of Glentoran’s last seven competitive matches
Fewer than eight corners have been won in four of RFS’s last six fixtures
Both teams have scored in RFS’s last three fixtures
View details of how to watch RFS v Glentoran on site.
Read more football betting tips and predictions on site.
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.
