Prediction: Mornar vs Dinamo Tbilisi

Verdict: Both teams score

Best odds:47/50

Bookmaker: ZetBet

Montenegro’s first league runners-up will host Georgian heavyweights Dinamo Tbilisi in the opening game of the Conference League playoffs. The contest will take place Thursday evening at Topolica Stadium from Bar where no more than 2500 fans are expected to fill the stands.

Mornar

Struggling to make an impact for over a decade since its first presence in Montenegro’s top flight, Mornar made a significant upgrade in the last years. From finishing bottom of the table to the previous year’s runners position, the hosts established themselves as serious title contenders.

Following a long domestic campaign with 36 games, The Sailors felt short with six points behind current champions Decic. While Mornar’s defensive output was remarkable this term conceding 32 goals in 36 games, the upfront lack of accuracy proved decisive in the title fight as Mornar scored 10 goals less (45) than the current champions and 11 less than the 3d placed team, Buducnost.

However, a strong finish to the season saw the hosts dropping a single point in the last seven rounds proving Mornar will be a tough nut to crack for Dinamo Tbilisi. While The Sailors impressed this season domestically, their Conference League preparations raised some concerns for the manager Simo Medigovic who witnessed his side conceding 4 goals from Buducnost (4-2 loss) and missing the target against OFK Beograd (0-0).

Being valued at 2.67 million euros, the Montenegro outfit will need to over-perform against the Georgian giants to keep their qualification hopes alive following the first leg. Furthermore, Mornar is keen to extend their home invincibility record, after successfully leaving the pitch undefeated in all games played at Topolica Stadium this calendar year.

Team News

Goalkeeper Djordjije Pavlovis is the only unavailable player from Mornar’s camp due to some unresolved visa issues.  Japanese midfielder Kotaro Kishi might be handed a start here following a great performance displayed in the friendly game against Buducnost that culminated with a goal scored. Likewise, experienced midfielder Vojin Jeknic proved his leadership by scoring a goal from the penalty kick in the same game.

Dinamo Tbilisi

Established in 1936, Dinamo Tbilisi is Gergia’s most successful football club. Dinamo dominated the domestic competition throughout many decades becoming the all-time first league record holders (19 titles), Georgian Cup record winners (13 trophies) and the dominant force in the Super Cup (9 trophies).

Although the visitors are the most prestigious club in Georgian football, a recent fall left the Tbilisi side failing to defend their championship title last season by finishing runners up. Furthermore, halfway through the domestic league Dinamo Tbilisi sits on 5th, 17 points behind leaders Dila Gori.

This run of poor results culminated with another disappointing display in the Georgian Supercup when the former champions suffered a heavy blow surrendering to Torpedo Kudaisi (1-2 final score). Despite the latest setbacks, the visitors can seek redemption in Montenegro where they will push for a positive result in the first leg.

However, the Spanish manager Andres Carrasco was axed and replaced with Ferdinand Feldhofer following a series of negative results with a pair of wins in the last 13 games. Although two consecutive wins under the new boss increased Dinamo Tbilisi’s chances to win the Super Cup, a nightmare first hour with two goals conceded brought a deja-vu feeling the players failed to overcome, despite reducing the deficit with 5 minutes before the final whistle.

Besides, the Blue-White need to up their game on the road as they recorded a disappointing pair of successes since March by defeating Gagra and Iberia in 1999 with the same score (2-0).

Team News

With all players at his disposition, Ferdinand Feldhofer is expected to line up a counter-attacking team looking to explore any gaps behind Mornar’s defensive line. Since the qualification is expected to be settled in Tbilisi, the visitors are unlikely to take unnecessary risks.

Key factors to consider

• Mornar is in excellent form winning six of their last seven competitive games
• The hosts improved their level in recent years culminating with a runners-up finish last term
• Dinamo Tbilisi failed to impress this time with results below expectations that positioned the team in mid-table
• The visitors’ recent managerial changes returned better results (2 wins and one game lost)

Conclusion

Although Mornar is expected to play its usual attacking football, the visitor’s value and experience point to an open game. While both sides have great upfront quality and are playing attacking football, each team scoring is the most probable outcome.

Verdict: Both teams score

Best odds:47/50

Bookmaker: ZetBet