Predictions Champions League | First Qualifying Round - HJK Helsinki vs Panevezys

Champions League - HJK Helsinki vs Panevezys
Match Time: 16-07-2024 23:59 Tuesday (GMT+8)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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HJK are the reigning Finnish champions, winning the title for the 33rd time last season, which saw them qualify for this stage of the Champions League, but it is difficult to see them progressing any further.

Indeed, Toni Korkeakunnass's side struggled in the first leg last week, with Panevezys netting three times without reply in order to place themselves in an excellent position to advance to the next stage.

HJK are preparing to play their 85th Champions League match, with 31 of their previous 84 bringing wins, and they played in the group stage of the 1998-99 competition.

Klubi featured in the group stage of the Europa Conference League last term, meanwhile, but they were only able to collect two points from six matches to finish bottom of the section.

HJK are 16 matches into their current domestic campaign, and despite losing 3-0 to Ilves in their last game on July 6, the team sit top of the division, boasting 28 points from 16 matches.

Panevezys, meanwhile, were only founded in 2015, but they won Lithuania's top flight for the second time last year in order to qualify for this stage of the Champions League.

Stijn Vreven's side have featured in the early qualifying rounds for the Europa Conference League in each of the last three seasons, and they progressed to the second qualifying round last term.

This is the club's first-ever participation in the Champions League, meaning that history has already been created, but they will be looking for more on Tuesday night.

Panevezys are 21 matches into their domestic campaign, but they are currently down in ninth position in the table, only picking up 21 points, which has left them some 28 points off the summit.

As a result, their strong first-leg triumph came as a huge surprise, especially having entered the match off the back of successive defeats on home soil.

Prediction: HJK Helsinki 2-1 Panevezys