Preview: Shkendija vs Samsunspor - prediction, team news, lineups

Macedonian champions Shkendija and Turkish side Samsunspor come head to head in the Conference League last-16 when they meet in Skopje on Thursday evening.

Meeting for the first leg of their playoff tie, both the Ballists and the Red Lightning have reached the knockout rounds for the first time in their history and will be hoping to gain the upper hand before next week’s return fixture.

Match preview

Heading into the final matchday back in December with seven points to their name, Jeton Beqiri’s side could just about afford to lose 1-0 to AEK Larnaca, allowing Shkendija to progress through the skin of their teeth on goal difference.

Winning two, drawing one and losing three of their six Conference League league-phase matches, the Ballists qualified for the playoff rounds after recording a 22nd-place finish, level on points with sides who failed to qualify.

One concern ahead of the first leg is that their defeat to end the league-phase somewhat flattered them, with Shkendija managing just two shots before being reduced to 10-men shortly after half-time.

Since scraping through to the playoffs for the first time, Beqiri’s side have played just two competitive matches but have looked far more convincing.

With both of those matches coming in the Macedonian First Football League just last week,Shkendija followed up a 2-0 win with a huge 4-1 victory to keep them in the title race, a title they claimed last season.

In fact, the Ballists have enjoyed a strong domestic campaign overall, winning 13 of their 18 matches and boasting the best defensive record in the division, conceding just 15 goals.

As for Samsunspor, they enjoyed a stronger league-phase campaign and would have hoped to avoid the playoffs after opening with three consecutive victories.

However, Thorsten Fink's men followed up their good start with a draw and two losses which saw the Red Lightning slip to 12th in the table and forced them into the playoffs in order to reach the next stage.

They went into their final league-phase match knowing a win over Mainz 05 would secure a top-eight finish, but a 2-0 defeat saw them miss out and they will now be keen to put that disappointment behind them as quickly as possible.

Unlike their upcoming opponents, Samsunspor have been in action more frequently but have failed to impress in their domestic league.

Fink’s side have begun February with back-to-back defeats and have slipped to eighth in the Turkish Super Lig, sitting 11 points adrift of the European places.

Samsunspor will be hoping to use the first leg of their Conference League tie as a platform to build some momentum that they can carry over into their domestic performances and attempt to get their season back on track.

The Red Lightning can take confidence from losing just once away from home during the league phase, but they will know they face a tough task against a Shkendija side that remained unbeaten at home over the same period.

Shkendija Conference League form:

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Shkendija form (all competitions):

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Samsunspor Conference League form (all competitions):

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Samsunspor form (all competitions):

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Team News

Having scored six goals in their past two matches, Beqiri would have been tempted not to change things up too drastically, however he will be forced into changes.

Liridon Latifi was sent off in Shkendija's last Conference League match and will be unable to feature in the first leg on Thursday night.

Arbin Zejnullai was substituted in the same game due to injury but has since recovered and scored in their 4-1 victory at the weekend, expect him to lead the line again alongside captain Besart Ibraimi.

As for Samsunspor, they will be without a number of key first-team players ahead of this one.

A serious knee injury has sidelined Bedirhan Cetin for some time and he will remain unavailable for this fixture with a return thought to be close, while Afonso Sousa is set to miss out for the foreseeable future with an ankle problem.

On a similar note, Tanguy Coulibaly is also recovering from a knee injury he sustained back in October and will again be unavailable to Fink with a return in March expected.

Emre Kilinc is also ruled out due to a calf muscle tear, though there is a chance he could return in time for the second leg.

Shkendija possible starting lineup:

Gaye; Trumci, Fetai, Meljichi, Webster; Spahiu, Ramadani, Alhassan, Mazari; Zejnullai, Ibraimi

Samsunspor possible starting lineup:

Kocuk; Mendes, Sakta, Drongelen, Gonul; Yuksel, Ntcham; Holse, Cift, Ndiaye; Mouandilmadji

We say: Shkendija 0-2 Samsunspor

These two sides come into this clash in contrasting league form and have had a varied Conference League campaigns so far. With that said, we expect Samsunspor to coast to victory and return to Turkey with a two-goal cushion ahead of next week's second leg.

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