Preview: Santa Clara vs NK Varazdin - prediction, team news, lineups

Santa Clara enter the return leg of their Conference League second qualifying round this midweek against NK Varazdin needing to overturn a one-goal deficit.

The Azoreans fell to a 2-1 defeat in the opening fixture last Thursday in Croatia, so they will now look to the backing of the Estadio de Sao Miguel crowd to inspire a comeback.

Match preview

A 55th-minute strike from Adriano Firmino had brought Santa Clara level following an early setback, only for the Portuguese side to concede five minutes from time, leaving them chasing the tie this Thursday.

Back on familiar turf for the first time since May, Vasco Matos’s men will look to pick up where they left off, having won three of their last four matches at Sao Miguel (L1).

The Portuguese outfit have also been dominant on home soil in the Conference League qualifiers, winning all three such matches in the 2021-22 campaign, so Santa have every reason to feel confident about overturning the deficit as they pursue another historic feat this season.

The Azoreans qualified for this competition after finishing fifth in the Primeira Liga – their highest-ever position in the top flight – and could take another step towards a maiden appearance in a continental group stage with a solid performance this Thursday.

Varazdin may take encouragement from their narrow first-leg advantage, but Nikola Safaric’s men know the job is far from done, especially given their mixed record on the road in 2025.

The Croatian side have lost four of their nine competitive away matches this year (W2, D3), though they will be hoping for another disciplined defensive showing to see them through this test in the Azores.

Varazdin have kept clean sheets in four of their last six official games on the road in that same stretch, so Safaric can take some solace in his side’s growing defensive steel as they look to hold firm once again.

This will be their first competitive trip beyond Croatian borders in over a decade, with NKV’s most recent such outing being a 2-2 draw at FC Dinamo Bucuresti in the 2022-12 Europa qualifiers — a result that extended their unbeaten run on the continental road to three matches (W1, D2).

Santa Clara Conference League form:

Santa Clara form (all competitions):

NK Varazdin Conference League form:

NK Varazdin form (all competitions):

Team News

Aside from Pedro Pacheco, who remains sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury, Santa Clara boast a fully fit squad, leaving head coach Matos with a wide range of options to call upon.

A more defensive setup was deployed in Croatia, with the manager opting for a five-man backline, but with his side needing to chase the tie, a more adventurous approach is expected this time around.

Matos is also likely to freshen things up in attack, with Wedell Silva tipped to lead the line ahead of Anthony Carter in the number nine role.

The visitors will be without 23-year-old left winger Thierry Nevers, who continues his recovery from injury and will play no part in Thursday’s clash.

Head coach Safaric may have a selection dilemma up front after Marko Dabro came off the bench to net the winner in the first leg, although Ivan Mamut could still retain his place having opened the scoring in that encounter.

Santa Clara possible starting lineup:

Batista; Pereira, Venancio, Rocha; Victor, Adriano, Ferreira, Soares; Lopes, Wendel, G. Silva

NK Varazdin possible starting lineup:

Zelenika; Borsic, Ba, Barac, Jovanov; Marina, Duvnjac; Bockaj, Vuk, Belcar; Mamut

We say: Santa Clara 2-0 NK Varazdin (Santa Clara win 3-2 aggregate)

Santa Clara boast a perfect home record in the Conference League qualifiers and have scored two or more goals in all three previous such encounters, so the Azoreans will fancy their chances of overturning the deficit, especially with the crowd at Sao Miguel behind them.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.