- Tactics: Petrovac will look to park the bus and counter against a slightly stronger, more talented Zalgiris side.
- Form: Zalgiris arrive in better form having taken 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss in their last 5 games.
- Home record: Petrovac are a compact side at home, conceding an average of just 0.75 goals.
Clash of styles in Montenegro
Tactical contrast
There is a definite contrast in styles between these two clubs and that could make this a interesting, if scrappy, game at Stadion Pod Goricom on Thursday. Zdravko Dragićević has his OFK Petrovac side set up in a pragmatic, low-to-mid block that should be ideal for the tight, European fixtures, but Andrius Skerla's FK Zalgiris Vilnius are a more structured side, more likely to play the ball through midfield, press the ball when out of possession and are generally the more talented of the two sides.
Recent form
The Zalgiris have an advantage of the visiting side for this one and arrive in the better form with 5-2-3 across all comps in their last ten and 3-1-1 in their most recent five. In comparison, Petrovac are 2-4-4 in all comps over the same ten games, but they have drawn their last two and are certainly stubborn enough to ensure that the away side will have to work for their victory.
Tight match likely with visitors to just about have the edge
Odds and prediction
Zalgiris are the slight favorites at 2.5 compared to Petrovac's 2.65 with the draw at 3.3 and that about reflects the difference in quality between the sides, although we think it could be a little closer than that.
Key factors
- Zalgiris arrive, and Petrovac will park the bus and look to nick it on the break, so we think the draw or Zalgiris to win could be the best approach.
- Zalgiris' defensive record is highlighted by the fact that they have conceded an average of just 0.83 goals on the road and Petrovac score and concede just 0.75 at home.
- Zalgiris' last two games were a 3-0 away win over Siauliai FA and a 0-0 draw at FK Dziugas Telsiai, so they seem to have the right mix of attacking quality and patience to get the job done.
- Nikola Petkovic is Zalgiris' in-form player with three goals in his last five games, during which his team have scored eight, so he could be a good bet to score at any time.
