Panevezys vs HJK Prediction: Cagey affair forecast in Lithuania

There’s an interesting first-round Champions League qualifier between Panevezys and HJK Helsinki to look forward to on Tuesday.

It’s an intriguing tie with both sides in the midst of their domestic campaigns, which are progressing with varying degrees of success. Read on for my Panevezys vs HJK prediction, as well as the latest team news and match odds.

HJK are mounting a strong defence of the Veikkausliiga title they won last season, while Lithuanian champions Panevezys have slipped into the relegation playoff places after a pretty disastrous campaign to date.

Attention turns to a European campaign on Tuesday evening and it will be interesting to see how the contest plays out.

Football Odds

Team News

Linas Klimavicius will return for the home side after serving a domestic suspension.

For HJK, Georgios Kanellopoulos is expected to be restored to the starting line-up after missing the weekend defeat to Ilves.

Panevezys vs HJK Odds

Panevezys are 11/2 for a first-leg victory, while HJK are 2/5 and the draw is a 16/5 shot.

Under 2.5 goals @ 5/6

Panevezys make their first-ever appearance in the Champions League and the Lithuanian outfit would have hoped to have been making their debut in better form.

Stijn Vreven’s side have dropped into the Lithuanian top-fight relegation playoff place after losing four of their last six matches. Playing in Europe could provide some respite and their recent continental efforts suggest the Lithuanians could prove tough to crack.

Panevezys were established out of Ekranas’ demise in 2015, and history is in short supply, but Vreven’s men have proved competitive in their three years of Europa Conference League participation.

The eight matches involving Panevezys in European competition have finished 0-1, 0-1, 0-0, 0-2, 2-2, 1-0, 1-1 and 0-1 and those scorelines suggest that the Lithuanian outfit won’t give much away at the Aukstaitija stadium.

Clearly, this is Champions League level and perhaps, a clash with HJK represents a step up in class. Klubi can call on Crystal Palace loanee Luke Plange, who has impressed domestically this season, but it’s worth noting that Toni Korkeakunnas’ men haven’t won any of their last 11 away matches in European competitions.

At the prices, it could pay to back under 2.5 goals and expect Panevezys to pose more of a challenge than the match prices suggest.

Half-time result – draw @ 13/10

HJK have played eight times away from home in the Finnish top-flight this season and won only three of those games.

It’s pretty clear that Korkeakunnas’ side are not as strong away from Helsinki and the Club have been ahead at half-time in only two of their eight Veikkausliiga away games.

Taking the draw to be the half-time result looks like a value play in Lithuania.

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