- JK Nomme Kalju have avoided defeat in four of their last five, including a 3-1 away win over JK Nomme United.
- Linfield FC have won just one and lost four of their last five, including four defeats in a row.
- In all current competitions, Kalju have conceded only five goals in five home fixtures.
Tight clash in Estonia
JK Nomme Kalju will probably edge a close game against Linfield FC in Estonia on Thursday, although the home side should not be allowed to run away with the first-leg advantage against a stubborn Northern Irish side.
Kalju have been inconsistent of late, winning one, drawing three and losing one of their last five matches, but David Healy's Linfield have been in far worse form, winning one and losing four of their last five.
The Blues' last two results have been a 2-1 home defeat to Cliftonville and a 3-2 loss at home to Kilmarnock, so confidence in the camp is fragile at best. In all competitions, Linfield's last 10 matches have seen them win only two, draw two and lose six, so they arrive at Hiiu Stadium on the back foot.
Linfield won’t lie down
Healy has done a great job since taking over at the club on 14 October 2015, but his side are always a compact, disciplined unit built around counters. They will attempt to soak up Kalju's pressure and hit on the counterattack as much as possible in this early UEFA Conference League qualification tie.
Kalju, by contrast, are a more fluid side that can adapt to different shapes in order to get on the front foot. Nikita Andreev's side are a pressing unit that likes to play with a good tempo and get the ball wide and behind defenders at speed. They are not the best side at doing this just yet, but they can be dangerous when the tempo rises.
Kalju's last two results have been a 1-1 draw at home to Paide Linnameeskond and a 3-1 away win over JK Nomme United, which should be a decent jumpstart going into this game. Linfield's Kyle McClean has two goals in the team's last five matches, which is 40% of the total the Blues have scored in that time (5).
Kalju can control the game
Kalju are the bookmakers' favourites at 21/25, which is a bit short given Linfield are out at 14/5 and the draw at 13/5. Kalju have won none, drawn two and lost one of their last three at home, so the draw looks the safest play.
But our preference here is to take the odds-on Kalju to win the match because this is the sort of game they should control. They have the ball, they dictate the pace and Linfield will be countering, which should lead to a Kalju win and under 3.5 goals.
