- League finish: Europa FC finished 3rd in the Gibraltar National League Championship Group in 2026, taking 56 points.
- League record: Shkendija finished 2nd in the Macedonian First Football League in 2026, scoring 67 goals and conceding just 30 in 33 games.
- Head-to-head: There is no head-to-head record between Europa FC and Shkendija to lean on ahead of this UEFA Conference League qualification first-leg.
Steel for the visitors
Shkendija are the clear odds-on favorite at 1.23, with Europa FC priced at 9.5 and the draw 5.75 for this first leg fixture in the UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026. Europa will make this a difficult night for Shkendija at Victoria Stadium in Gibraltar, but the away side should win this match-up.
Michele Di Piedi has made Europa into a compact, disciplined unit. Europa are a compact team who work as a unit, they play off of shape, transitions and wide outlets.
Liam Walker is the creative heart of this team and he controls the tempo from midfield, as well as taking all the dead-ball duties for them. Aldair Ruiz gives them a physical target up top and Marc Vales marshals the backline when they come under sustained pressure.
The visitors should win this game and they should be the likeliest winners when considering the odds, the level of each side and the depth of the respective rosters. Europa have performed well recently with four wins, one draw and just one defeat in their last five competitive games and they can certainly hang in here.
Shkendija should see this out
Tactical setup
Artim Polozani arrives as Shkendija's new boss. He's expected to maintain their direct and front-foot identity, but they need to be ready for a game plan when they're not on the ball.
Shkendija bring the higher gear, they press in numbers, and get players forward. They're a compact 4-2-3-1 system that is built for pressing, rotation and sudden bursts forward.
Players to watch
Shkendija are coming off a mixed spell of results with two consecutive losses prior to back-to-back wins and a draw in their last five games, but they are a dangerous team.
- They can play with numbers in midfield and the running of Arbin Zejnullai or Reshat Ramadani can turn the tide in terms of territory and possession, not to mention Baboucarr Gaye's security in goal.
- Besart Ibraimi is Shkendija's talisman and the man to deliver when they can carve out chances.
Europa won’t make it easy
We're sticking with the Shkendija to win market, but Europa will not make this easy for the visiting side. The alternative selection to take in this game is Shkendija to beat Europa FC and under 3.5 goals in the game.
Europa have been tough to break down at home and dangerous on the break, so this should be a tight and tense game.
The selection for the correct score wager is a 0-1 away win, which is the most natural outcome of this match-up.
