- First-leg: Shkendija thumped Europa FC 5-0 in the first-leg.
- Shkendija recent form: Shkendija have won 2, drawn 1 and lost 2 of their last 5 games (all competitions).
- Europa recent form: Europa have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 1 of their last 5 matches.
Shkendija to see out Europa FC
Shkendija
Shkendija 79's 5-0 victory over Europa FC in UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 last week came as a shock to many, but it is clear from their performance that Artim Polozani's players were ready to make a statement. That's not perfect, but it's a solid enough form sheet and they look well prepared by Polozani, who is still in the early days of his tenure but has already overseen a ruthless European performance.
- The Macedonian side have won two and lost two of their four home games so far this season in all competitions (W2, L2), scoring an average of 3.00 goals per game and conceding an average of 1.50 per game.
- They come into this game on the back of a 3-1 home win over FC Struga Trim & Lum and the aforementioned thrashing of Europa, which means they have won six, drawn one and lost three of their ten most recent outings (W6, D1, L3) in all competitions.
Europa
Michelle Di Piedi has done a great job at Europa since taking the reins in January 2024, building a side that is disciplined and defensively compact, but there are still clear weaknesses in the side.
- Europa's response to that defeat was a 6-0 home thrashing of FC Hound Dogs, but the damage to their European momentum will take longer to recover from.
- In 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 formations, Europa sit in a compact block and try to get at the opposition on the counter. They have won three and lost one of their first four away games this season (W3, D0, L1), conceding just three goals in total.
Match outlook
Shkendija's 4-2-3-1 system, featuring a double pivot and a playmaker, suits the pace of the game they want to play and should help them overload wide areas. That should see them comfortably see out Europa, who need to sit back and try to survive the initial onslaught.
The odds of 1.3 for Shkendija is fair given their control of the first-leg, while Europa are listed as 9.3 outsiders and the draw at 5.8 seems highly unlikely. Fabrice Tamba has scored two goals in one in UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 and looks sharp in the final third at the moment, so it makes sense for Shkendija to finish the job and take a win to nil.
