- Dinamo Tirana are the slight favourites for Thursday's UEFA Conference League qualifier against Aluminij.
- Aluminij have won one, drawn two and lost two of their last five matches (all competitions).
- Dinamo Tirana have won one, and lost four of their last five games.
Aluminij and Dinamo are not yet in rhythm
Aluminij followed up a decent 0-0 away draw against Sheriff Tiraspol with a disappointing 0-1 home defeat against the same opponents in UEFA Europa League qualification last month, two results that are indicative of their form coming into the first leg of this match.
The Slovene club have won just one of their four home games in all competitions in 2026, drawing one and losing the other two.
They have scored just two goals in this period and, while Dinamo are by no means a free-scoring side, the Albanian visitors can get the edge in this fixture if they get things right in the first half.
Aluminij are a compact and well-organised side with a back three and wing-backs and they are far more dangerous on the break than when they have possession.
Ilir Daja's side, which he took over on 11 September 2024, are much more high-tempo and vertical in their approach and they should be able to get at Aluminij if they can stretch the wing-backs and win the ball back quickly in the final third.
Dinamo’s away record is poor but there’s a turning point in sight
Dinamo will come into this contest as the slight favourites, which is a surprise given they have lost four of their last five in all competitions.
Their morale will be high, however, after a remarkable European away swing saw them lose 0-1 at home to Astana in UEFA Conference League qualification only to return with a 1-4 victory after extra time in the Kazakh capital.
Bruno Dita, who has scored a goal for Dinamo in the competition so far, will be the spark that can cause Aluminij problems on Thursday.
Aluminij's form has been patchy of late, with three wins, two draws and five defeats in their last 10 matches in all competitions, so it is the visitors who are most likely to get the win in what should be an open match.
The visitors have won only one of their six competitive away games this year (drawn one, lost four), but average 1.17 goals per game away from home.
There are goals in this game for sure and the Over 2.5 market at 19/25 looks good, but the BTTS No angle also looks live at 113/100 and we're taking that because Dinamo should be capable of keeping Aluminij out and scoring enough to seal the win at Ljudski vrt Stadion on Thursday.
