Jagiellonia Bialystok and Cercle Brugge will begin their battle for a Europa Conference League quarter-final spot on Thursday, when they square off in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie in Poland.
The two sides finished level on points in the league phase, but the visitors progressed automatically to the round of 16 while their hosts had to battle through a knockout phase playoff to reach this stage.
Match preview
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Jagiellonia Bialystok return to action on Thursday aiming to stake a claim to continue their best-ever European campaign, having reached a continental round of 16 for the first time in their history.
After dropping out of Champions League and Europa League qualifying, the Polish outfit entered the Europa Conference League league phase and fell just short of booking an automatic round-of-16 spot, trailing their eighth-placed hosts on goal difference having earned 11 points from their six games.
That league campaign ended in a pair of draws and a defeat, seeing Jaga fall to ninth place and setting up a knockout phase playoff tie with Backa Topola, and they took a 3-1 advantage into the second leg thanks to an impressive first-leg victory in Portugal.
Adrian Siemieniec's team would go on to book their round-of-16 spot with relative ease, sealing a 6-2 aggregate triumph by winning the second leg by the same scoreline, thanks to goals from Kristoffer Hansen and Jesus Imaz and a Viktor Radojevic own goal 14 minutes from time.
Now on the back of a 1-0 home victory over Katowice on Sunday, thanks to Taras Romanczuk's first-half goal, to keep them two points off top spot in the defence of their first-ever Polish top-flight title last time around, Jagiellonia Bialystok will aim to make the most of home advantage on Thursday and gain an aggregate lead in their round-of-16 tie.
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They meet a visiting side who pipped them to eighth place in the league phase of Europe's tertiary competition, missing out the knockout round playoff as a result.
Returning to continental competition for the first time since the 2010-11 season, thanks to their Belgian Pro League fourth-placed finish last time around, Cercle Brugge began in Europa League qualifying, before booking a Europa Conference League league-phase spot with a playoff victory over Wisla Krakow.
The Groen en Zwart were then able to seal a top-eight place by earning 11 points from their six outings, beating their round-of-16 opponents on goal difference having snuck into the round-of-16 places with wins over Hearts and Olimpica Ljubljana and a draw with Istanbul Basaksehir to finish their league-phase bid.
Having skipped the knockout round playoff as a result, Ferdinand Feldhofer's side return to continental action on Thursday on the back of a seven-match winless run in the Belgian Pro League albeit having drawn six of those including each of their last three outings, most recently sharing the points in a goalless stalemate at home to Royal Antwerp on Saturday.
Now sitting 12th in the domestic top flight and just a single point above the relegation-round places, Cercle Brugge will hope to get back to winning ways on Thursday before welcoming Jagiellonia Bialystok to the Belgian capital to decide the contest next week.
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Team News
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Jagiellonia Bialystok will likely remain without winger Kristoffer Hansen, who has missed their last three domestic outings after scoring in the second leg of their playoff win over Backa Topola, while defenders Adrian Dieguez, Michal Sacek and Joao Moutinho should also remain confined to the treatment room.
Afimico Pululu should continue to lead the line with support from Jesus Imaz, who leads the squad with 21 goals this season including seven alongside four assists in 14 continental outings.
In the absence of several important defenders, Mateusz Skrzypczak and Enzo Ebosse will likely continue their partnership at the heart of a back four.
Cercle Brugge will remain without Steve Ngoura and Abdoul Kader Ouattara on Thursday due to ongoing injuries.
While key defender Christiaan Ravych was sent off in the weekend's draw with Royal Antwerp, he will be eligible to feature in the continental contest, while Nazinho will return to contention after missing that game through suspension.
With top scorers Kevin Denkey and Kazeem Olaigbe having departed in January, Felipe Augusto will be relied upon to lead the line, likely joining Thibo Somers and Alan Minda in a front three.
Jagiellonia Bialystok possible starting lineup:
Abramowicz; Wojtuszek, Ebosse, Skrzypczak, Polak; Romanczuk, Kubicki; Villar, Imaz, Pietuszewski; Pululu
Cercle Brugge possible starting lineup:
Delanghe; Diakite, Ravych, Perrin; Nunes, Van Der Bruggen, Francis, Nazinho; Somers, Augusto, Minda
We say: Jagiellonia Bialystok 1-0 Cercle Brugge
Following several January departures, Cercle Brugge certainly pose less attacking threat than they did in the league phase, and we see Jagiellonia Bialystok taking advantage and gaining a crucial aggregate lead in Thursday's home leg.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
