Europe champions league: HJK Helsinki vs. FC Viktoria Plzen – prediction head-to-head live stream lineups and ground
HJK Helsinki vs. FC Viktoria Plzen – prediction head-to-head live stream lineups and ground. HJK Helsinki will try to avoid being eliminated in the second round of Champions League qualifying for the fourth straight time when they host Viktoria Plzen on Wednesday for the first leg. The Finnish champions beat RFS in a nail-biting penalty shootout to move on while the visitors start their journey to the group stage in the second round.
Stefan Panic’s Contribution
Stefan Panic, a midfielder for RFS, took the term “hero to zero” to a whole new level in the first qualifying round of the Champions League. He led his team to a 2-1 win in the second leg, but HJK lost on penalties after Manuel Martic put his team ahead in Helsinki. Panic scored the second of RFS’s two goals in the second leg, but he was the only player who missed from 12 yards in the shootout, as all five of HJK’s shooters hit the back of the net to keep their top-tier continental journey going.
How can Toni Koskela’s team defend the title
Toni Koskela’s team needs to make up some ground in the 2022 Veikkausliiga if they want to defend their title. They come into the first leg after a 3-1 win over Vaasan Palloseura, but the home team has been having trouble in the second round of the Champions League lately. In fact, the Finnish champions, who made it all the way to the group stage in 1998-99, have lost in the third round of qualifying in each of the last three seasons. Since the turn of the century, they have never made it past the third round of qualifying.
How’s HJK doing?
HJK is in good shape going into the first leg because they have won five of their last seven games at home. Koskela’s team, which played in the Europa Conference League group stage last year, will at least have a chance to qualify for the Europa League if they lose here. Viktoria Plzen won the Czech First League title for the first time in four years. They finished one spot behind Slavia Prague in the regular season standings, but they beat Slavia Prague in the Championship Group to win.
Team Updates
David Browne and Pyry Soiri both got hurt in the second leg against RFS, but David Browne was still able to come off the bench and play on Saturday. But Soiri had nothing to do with it and could join Roope Riski, Valtteri Moren, Miska Ylitolva, and Manuel Martic in the treatment room.
Conor Hazard, who is on loan from Celtic, should be the last line of defense for HJK. Malik Abubakari will try to win the fierce competition for the striker’s spot and push Fabian Serrarens to the bench. Filip Kasa, the center back for Viktoria Plzen, has recovered from knee surgery and played 30 minutes in the recent tie with Besiktas. However, Petr Pejsa is still not there.
Lukas Hejda, another defender, missed his team’s last preseason game because of an ankle injury, but the 32-year-old is expected to be healthy enough to lead the defense here.
HJK Helsinki’s possible starting lineup:
Hazard; Peltola, Tenho, Hoskonen, Raitala; Vaananen, Hetemaj, Boujellab; Terho, Abubakari, Browne
Viktoria Plzen’s possible starting lineup:
Stanek; Reznik, Hejda, Pernica, Havel; Bucha, Kalvach; Cadu, Sykora, Mosquera; Chory