Thursday 17/07/2014, 21:00, Europa League Qualifiers, Derry City vs Shakhter Soligorsk

Derry City vs Shakhter Soligorsk Preview

Almost 20 points separate Derry City from the leading duo, but recent results give plenty of reasons to be optimistic about what the future might bring. The Irish side is riding a four-game winning streak and they can add a fifth consecutive victory, that would mean a lot for their fans. Winning the opening leg of the Europa League Qualifiers against Shakhter Soligorsk would give them the first chance to advance to the next stage of the competition.

Derry City vs Shakhter Soligorsk Odds

At Bet-at-home

Derry City 2.65, Draw 3.15, Shakhter Soligorsk 2.50

Derry City vs Shakhter Soligorsk Tips

The hosts played plenty of games recently, including several domestic championship matches and qualifiers for Europa League. So far, they advanced to the second round at the expense of Aberystwyth Town, a team that is quite used to suffering untimely eliminations from European competitions.

Derry City got the chance to use overly aggressive starting formations, featuring three strikers and the strategy paid off. They scored nine goals and still managed to keep a clean sheet, so they will probably stick to the same tactic against Shakhter Soligorsk. These opponents are of an entirely different caliber, but as long as they have home pitch advantage, the Irish are entitled to aim for all three points.

The main problem for the hosts is that they don't have a quality striker, with their top scorer being Patrick McEleney who scored just five goals this season. The manager has no choice but to use him alongside Patterson, but the good news is that the hosts can also rely on a couple of offensive midfielders.

Duffy stands out from the crowd with his four goals and at 19 years old he's expected to play for the entire 90 min. The visitors have the advantage of their domestic championship having already started, therefore they got plenty of time to practice. After a string of inconclusive results, Shakhter Soligorsk finally returned to its winning ways and won the last three matches without conceding a goal.

Key Facts

• The visitors have only one quality striker, Yanush who have scored seven goals in 14 games and will spearhead the offensive tonight
• Derry City is riding its hottest winning streak of the season and desperately needs a victory and hope to stand a chance in the double legged round

Derry City vs Shakhter Soligorsk Prediction

The hosts will be throwing everything they've got at Shakhter Soligorsk, knowing that their chances of winning the second leg are minimal. As long as the odds hold at 2.70 for a straight win, there is plenty of value to make this bet worthwhile. Risk-averse punters would probably prefer the draw no bet wager, at odds of only 1.85, knowing that they only lose money if the visitors prevail.

Bet: Derry City Draw no Bet @ 1.85 with Bet-at-home