Still seeking to claim their first Europa League victory this season, newly-crowned Finnish top-flight champions HJK Helsinki travel to Bulgaria to face Ludogorets Razgrad on Thursday night.
The visitors sit at the bottom of Group C at the halfway stage after playing out a 1-1 draw with second-placed Ludogorets last week.
Match preview
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Ludogorets ended a four-game winless run across all competitions when they secured an important 2-1 victory at home against fellow Bulgarian top-flight title challengers CSKA Sofia on Monday.
Matias Tissera followed up his goal in the 1-1 draw with HJK with another strike against Sofia, and Jakub Piotrowski then sealed the victory in the 79th minute to help the Eagles move to within a point of league leaders CSKA 1948 with two games in hand.
Ante Simundza's side now turn their focus back to the Europa League, where they are in a strong position to progress to the knockout rounds for the first time in three seasons after accumulating four points from their first three games, including an impressive 2-1 home win over Roma on matchday one.
Indeed, Ludogorets' triumph over the Italian giants is one of only two victories in their last 17 Europa League matches, and securing maximum points on Thursday would see them win successive home games in the competition for the very first time.
Victory against HJK would also help consolidate second place in Group C and they could move four points clear of third-placed Roma – who Simundza's side face in their final group game – if the Serie A outfit were to lose to Real Betis.
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HJK followed up their draw against Ludogorets with a narrow 1-0 league victory away against Haka on Sunday to clinch their 32nd Veikkausliiga title.
Toni Koskela's side got their hands on the trophy with a game to spare and they can now focus on their remaining three Europa League fixtures as they bid to progress from the group stage in European competition for the first time.
HJK head into Thursday's encounter having lost all four of their away games in the Europa League, including a 3-0 loss away at Roma this term.
The Finnish outfit are three points adrift of second-placed Ludogorets in second in Group C and know that a defeat against their Bulgarian counterparts would all but end their hopes of advancing to the knockout rounds.
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Team News
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Ludogorets midfielders Dominik Yankov and Claude Goncalves both remain on the sidelines with respective knee and back injuries.
After scoring in each of his last two appearances, Tissera could continue as the central striker ahead of Thiago, with Kiril Despodov, Cauly and Bernard Tekpetey providing support in attack.
Former Luton Town goalkeeper Simon Sluga is set to be recalled between the sticks ahead of Sergio Padt, while Manuel Cafumana could replace Nonato in centre-midfield.
As for HJK, star striker Roope Riski and defender Valtteri Moren are both ruled out with knee injuries, but captain Miro Tenho is available after serving a one-match suspension last week.
Tenho is set to slot into the back three alongside Arttu Hoskonen and Jukka Raitala, with Matti Peltola dropping to the substitutes' bench as a result.
Midfielder Perparim Hetemaj – who scored the equaliser in last week's draw with Ludogorets – and right wing-back Pyry Soiri could also return to the first XI at the expense of Anthony Olusanya and Nassim Boujellab, with Koskela set to continue with a 3-4-3 formation.
Ludogorets Razgrad possible starting lineup:
Sluga; Fonn Wirty, Verdon, Nedyalkov, Cicinho; Piotrowski, Cafumana; Tekpetey, Cauly, Despodov; Tissera
HJK Helsinki possible starting lineup:
Hazard; Hoskonen, Tenho, Halme; Soiri, Hetemaj, Lingman, Vaananen, Browne; Hostikka, Abubakari
We say: Ludogorets Razgrad 2-1 HJK Helsinki
The two sides were forced to share the spoils in last week's contest and another tight affair is to be expected on Thursday.
HJK will be hoping that their title triumph over the weekend can spur them on to a positive result in Bulgaria, but we can see Ludogorets edging out their Finnish counterparts on home soil to boost their hopes of reaching the knockout rounds.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
