- Malisheva form: Malisheva have won four, drawn one, and lost five of their last ten, losing the last two games before this game.
- Vllaznia form: Vllaznia are almost exactly the same, winning four, drawing one, and losing five of their last ten.
Narrow opening win for Albania’s Vllaznia
A 2-1 win for Vllaznia in Albania was a narrow opening victory, but it does give them an advantage ahead of FC Malisheva heading into the second leg of their UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 tie. Thomas Brdaric's side have struggled for form ahead of this game however, winning two, drawing one and losing two of their last five in all competitions.
The most recent of these was a 1-1 draw with KF Ferizaj in Superliga 2025/2026, while they had previously suffered a 3-2 loss to KF Llapi Podujeve in Superliga 2025/2026 and a 2-1 defeat in Albania to Vllaznia in this competition.
It seems as though Brdaric has moulded Malisheva into a deep, compact unit since taking over as coach on 21 June 2026, with the hosts opting for a 4-2-3-1 formation where the defence stays low, the midfield players are compact and the forward line punches ahead.
FC Malisheva's No.10, Laurent Xhyland, is the main outlet through the middle, but the team is not packed with quality, so they are reliant on their star to be on form if they are to cause Vllaznia problems. The Kosovar forward has scored one goal in one game in the UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026.
A close game is expected between two narrow teams
Form and tactics
Eduard Martini's Vllaznia have also had a patchy start to 2026, winning two and losing three of their last five, one of the wins coming against Malisheva and the latter including a 1-2 home defeat to Af Elbasani in Kategoria Superiore 2025. Since taking the helm on 1 July 2025, Martini has set his team up in a 3-5-2 that favours width in a back three and a lot of transition threat in the wing-backs.
Key players
Klinti Qato is the only real attacking threat in the team and has already chipped in with two goals in the last five, including two of Vllaznia's six goals in that spell. The Albanian team have a top scorer in European competition so far with Emiljano Musta on one goal in one appearance.
Draw makes sense
Vllaznia's win at home has set them up for a really tough second leg. The Albanians are not a particularly solid team, but they are dangerous when they get on the counter-attack and can cause problems for Malisheva if they are allowed to get their wings overloading in behind.
- With Malisheva's low, compact shape, this should be a tactical chess match on Wednesday and it will be a close affair at Zahir Pajaziti Stadium.
- The odds suggest that Malisheva are the favourites at 1.91 with Vllaznia 3.86 and the draw 3.8.
- This looks like a draw on the balance of play, but with Malisheva having home advantage and Vllaznia winning by a single goal in the first leg, the home team look marginally more likely to nick it.
