Elfsborg vs. Pafos (Thursday, 6.00pm)
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Both hoping to take their first steps towards continental glory, Elfsborg and Pafos FC will meet at Boras Arena for the first leg of their Europa League first-round qualifying clash on Thursday night.
The Yellow Ones are in the midst of their domestic season and come into this match following a handsome victory on the weekend, whilst Pafos are returning to action after a historic 2023-24 campaign.
We say: Elfsborg 1-0 Pafos FC
Elfsborg returned from the summer break with a convincing win, and the Swedes should take confidence from the weekend's success into their continental battle on Thursday.
Pafos have been promising during their friendly fixtures, but we feel that the Cypriots will fall behind ahead of the second leg later this month.
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Paksi SE vs. Corvinul Hunedoara (Thursday, 6.00pm)
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Both commencing their unlikely mission for places in the revamped league phase, Paksi SE and Corvinul Hunedoara will meet at Paksi Stadion on Thursday night for the first leg of their first-round Europa League qualifier.
The Nuclear Team are back on the continental stage following a 13-year absence, whilst the Ravens will be playing European football for the first time since the early 1980s.
We say: Paksi SE 3-0 Corvinul Hunedoara
Following a strong campaign in the Hungarian top flight, Paksi will be confident of making relatively light work of second-tier opposition on Thursday night.
With a second leg at home to come later in the month, Corvinul need to ensure that they are still in with a chance after the first leg, but we believe that the Romanians are going to struggle massively on the road.
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Sheriff Tiraspol vs. Zira FK (Thursday, 6.00pm)
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Sheriff Tiraspol and Zira FK get their Europa League campaigns underway on Thursday night when they square off in the first leg of their opening-round qualifying tie.
While the Moldovan hosts are bidding for another appearance in the main stages of a continental competition, their Azerbaijani opponents have never progressed through qualifying.
We say: Sheriff Tiraspol 3-1 Zira FK
Zira will be eager to take a rare opportunity on this stage to make an impact, yet they are the clear underdogs in this tie. Taking everything into consideration, we are backing Sheriff to come through in what could prove to be a competitive fixture for a time.
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Ruzomberok vs. Tobol (Thursday, 6.00pm)
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On Thursday, MFK Ruzomberok of Slovakia will play host to Kazakhstan side Tobol in the first leg of their Europa League qualifying tie.
The team that prevails over the two legs will go on to face Turkish Super club Trabzonspor in the second qualifying round.
We say: MFK Ruzomberok 2-2 Tobol
Tobol proved in last season's Europa League qualifying that they can compete on the European stage, and we think they will do enough to hold Ruzomberok to a draw, which would represent a positive result ahead of the second leg on home turf.
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Botev Plovdiv vs. Maribor (Thursday, 7.00pm)
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Botev Plovdiv will welcome Maribor to the Hristo Botev Stadium on Thursday for the first leg of their first-round tie in Europa League qualifying.
The hosts' last continental action came in Europa Conference League qualifying in the 2022-23 campaign, while their visitors progressed to the third round of qualifying for Europe's third competition last year and will now bid to succeed for the first time since featuring in the Champions League group stage in 2017.
We say: Botev Plovdiv 1-1 Maribor
The visitors arguably boast more quality in their ranks and more experience on the continental stage than their hosts, but with Botev Plovdiv desperate to make the most of home advantage, we would not be surprised to see the teams go into the second leg level.
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Wisla Krakow vs. KF Llapi (Thursday, 7.30pm)
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Wisla Krakow are set to host KF Llapi at the Stadion Miejski im. Henryka Reymana in the first of a two-legged affair in the first qualifying round for the Europa League on Thursday.
The hosts are set to make their first appearance in European competition since a round of 32 exit from the Europa League in 2011-12, while the visitors are set to make their debut in this competition.
We say: Wisla Krakow 1-2 KF Llapi
Wisla Krakow may hold the home advantage in this game but their form at the end of last season and throughout pre-season has been extremely poor, while KF Llapi were the best side in their division when playing away from home last campaign, leading us to believe the visitors will win this one.
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Ben Knapton
