Montenegro’s FK Buducnost Podgorica and Iceland’s Breidablik face off in the next round of 2023-24 UEFA Champions League qualifying on Friday evening.
On Tuesday, Buducnost Podgorica dispatched Andorra’s Atletic Escaldes to book their place in the next round, while Breidablik knocked out San Marino’s Tre Penne.
With the preliminary round almost over and the first qualifying round on the horizon, Buducnost Podgorica and Breidablik will both be eager to advance.
Buducnost Podgorica claimed a convincing 3-0 victory over Atletic Escaldes to reach the preliminary final, with Balsa Sekulic bagging a brace in the triumph.
As a result, Buducnost Podgorica have now lost just one of their last eight matches across all competitions, winning four of their previous five.
It is also worth pointing out that Buducnost Podgorica have suffered only two defeats in their last 19 games, securing 11 victories for good measure.
Having won last season’s Montenegrin First League title thanks to their superior head-to-head record with Sutjeska, Buducnost will be determined to make their mark on UCL qualifying.
Breidablik, meanwhile, thrashed Tre Penne 7-1 to punch their ticket to the preliminary final, with Hoskuldur Gunnlaugsson and Agust Hlynsson both netting doubles.
That victory ended a two-game winless run for Breidablik, who suffered a 5-2 thrashing at the hands of Kopavogur four days prior.
When you look at the bigger picture, however, Breidablik have lost just one of their previous 13 matches in all competitions.
That said, they still find themselves 10 points shy of table-topping Vikingur Reykjavik in the Icelandic Besta deild karla standings.
Head-to-head: Buducnost Podgorica and Breidablik met during the qualification process for last season’s edition of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Following a 2-0 victory for Breidablik on home soil, Buducnost Podgorica claimed a 2-1 win, meaning the Icelandic outfit advanced to the next round.
Team news: After bagging a brace on Tuesday, Balsa Sekulic will continue to lead the line for Buducnost, while Marko Pavlovski and Miomir Djurickovic will anchor the midfield.
As for Breidablik, they are expected to stick with a 4-3-3 formation, meaning Viktor Einarsson, Klaemint Olsen and Gisli Eyjolfsson will likely operate in the forward line.
Regardless of Breidablik’s eye-catching 7-1 thrashing of Tre Penne in midweek, Buducnost Podgorica will be confident of sealing the deal on Friday.
Forebet predicts that Buducnost Podgorica and Breidablik will combine for over 2.5 goals, while the Montenegrin side expected to edge out the Icelandic outfit.