This Europa League qualifier sees NK Domzale take on West Ham United. The side from Slovenia have already come through two qualifying rounds to reach this stage of the competition whilst the Hammers are playing in their first competitive game of the season.
Rumeni finished third in the Slovenian PrvaLiga last season behind usual suspects Olimpija Ljubljana and Maribor. Domzale have only ever won the PrvaLiga twice and have never qualified for the group stage of a European competition – this third qualifying round of the Europa Leaga is the furthest they have gone in a continental competition since the 2005/06 UEFA Cup. They are certainly classed as one of the minnows of the continent.
The Hammers had an excellent season under new manager Slaven Bilic last season as we saw them finish 7th in the Premier League whilst playing some exciting football. To top it all off they finally made their dream move into the Olympic Stadium this summer. Despite this recent relative success, it is likely that Bilic will pick a fairly youthful and inexperienced side for this match in Slovenia. With this in mind I cannot imagine it being the thrashing that many will predict.
As West Ham are the favourites there is no real value in backing them for a simple win.
I like the look of the Hammers to win both halves at 3/1. Although they won’t be at their full strength with it being against a so-called minnow, Bilic will not accept any complacency. Furthermore, there will be many players looking to put themselves into the managers thoughts for the new season meaning that West Ham should start brightly and score in the first half. You would also back them to score in the second half as their opponents will tire and perhaps become a bit overwhelmed.
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