- Team form: Motherwell have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five matches, including a 2-1 victory over Hibernian last time away.
- Opponent form: HJK Helsinki have won six, drawn one and lost three of their last 10 matches in all competitions, a better record than Motherwell's.
- Home defence: Motherwell have conceded eight goals in four home matches in all competitions, an average of 2.00 per 90 minutes.
Familiar foes do battle again at Fir Park
A 1-1 draw between Motherwell and HJK Helsinki in their first leg of the UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 has set up a close game for the return fixture in Scotland this Thursday. The Well are a marginal choice at 2.0 to win the game compared to the draw (3.59) and HJK Helsinki (3.79).
That said, the Finns have a better recent record than the hosts and this game could go the distance. HJK have won two and lost two of their four away games in all competitions this season, scoring an average of 1.75 goals per 90 minutes and conceding 1.25 per 90. Motherwell have a solid, but less impressive record of one, one and two in their four home games this term.
Goals could be in short supply
Match outcome and markets
Both Motherwell and HJK Helsinki look more likely to snatch the win, but the draw looks a good bet here and, for smaller stakes, it looks like the value selection in this market. The odds for Under 2.5 goals (1.9) and both teams to score (1.72) are also a little on the short side, but we're going for a draw in the match betting market.
Key players
- Lukas Fadinger has two goals in three UEFA Conference League Qualification games for Motherwell.
- Teemu Pukki has three in three for the Finns.
Tactical setups
Johansson has set his Motherwell up in a 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 shape that allows his team to be compact and move forward quickly when the opposition lose the ball in the centre of the field. Rantanen's HJK play in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 shape, which allows them to control the ball in the centre of the pitch and play some nice one-twos in wide areas to get in behind.
Steely battle likely in Scotland
The clash of these two styles, Motherwell's ability to bite quickly on the break and HJK's ability to control possession, could see a game where there are few open lanes, and this could become a chess game between the two coaches.
Motherwell will bite, but HJK will have more of the ball and will be able to play a few more passes. It could be a tight game that goes right down to the wire, so we'll take a narrow 1-1 draw.
