- 1 Rijeka vs Midtjylland: two goals to claw back and only one route for the Croatians
- 2 Rijeka have to step out of their usual caution at Rujevica
- 3 Midtjylland are protecting a lead they earned with a smart game plan
- 4 Conference League prediction Rijeka vs Midtjylland
- 5 First, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information can change
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the visuals…
Rijeka vs Midtjylland: two goals to claw back and only one route for the Croatians 
Rijeka host Midtjylland on Thursday, August 27 at 8:45pm local time for the second leg of their Conference League play-off. The Croatians go into it trailing by two goals and with work to do.
The first leg was played on August 20 at MCH Arena in Herning and ended in a 2-0 win for the Danes. Cho Gue-sung opened the scoring in the 20th minute before Johannesen made it two three minutes after the restart.
Those two goals leave Rijeka in an awkward spot, but not a hopeless one. The Croatian side need to score at least twice at home just to keep the tie alive.
The two clubs had never met before this tie. There is no history to lean on here, which only adds to the uncertainty around the return leg.
Mike Tullberg lined up Midtjylland in a 3-5-2 in the first leg, and it worked a treat. Matjaz Kek, by contrast, went with a 4-3-3 that never really cut through.
The Danes now arrive in Rijeka able to manage the game, something that was far from certain before kick-off in the opener. The Croatian side, meanwhile, have no choice left in how they approach it.
A play-off where one team has to chase the game rarely stays tight for long. That is exactly what makes this one worth a proper look.
A place in the league phase would change the shape of the season for both sides. For each club, this is a major target for 2026-27.
The fact they are still getting to know each other adds another layer of tactical uncertainty. Neither coaching staff has any shared history to draw on for this second leg.
Rijeka have to step out of their usual caution at Rujevica 
Rijeka have built their European run on tight scores and careful game management. The Croatian club edged Ilves in the third qualifying round 2-1 on aggregate, winning 1-0 at home before drawing 1-1 in Finland.
The previous round followed exactly the same pattern against Derry, who went out 2-0 on aggregate after two 1-0 defeats. That stripped-down efficiency has done the job so far, but it will not be enough on Thursday.
Matjaz Kek’s 4-3-3 produced no goals in Herning despite the need to come away with something. The Slovenian coach has to fix that lack of presence in the box.
Home advantage is still a real weapon for the Croatians, who know how to turn Rujevica into a pressure cooker. The crowd matters on big European nights.
The bigger issue is attacking volume: Rijeka do not score much and rarely string together long spells in the final third. Needing two goals against a well-organised Danish side is a very different assignment.
They will have to take risks from the start, with the back line pushing high. That naturally opens space in behind.
The tempo from the first whistle will tell us plenty about Rijeka’s intent. A cautious start would almost write them out of it before the hour mark.
The staff also need to strike a balance between pushing for an early goal and avoiding a sucker punch. That balance was missing in Herning, where they never really troubled the Danish keeper.
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Midtjylland are protecting a lead they earned with a smart game plan 
Mike Tullberg’s 3-5-2 did exactly what it was supposed to do in the first leg. The Danish side controlled the tempo before landing blows at two key moments.
Cho Gue-sung put them in front in the 20th minute, underlining his role as the finisher in a two-man attack. Johannesen then killed the tie off in the 48th, straight after the break.
The timing says a lot about how Midtjylland handle the big moments. Scoring immediately after half-time took the wind out of Rijeka’s sails.
Midtjylland had already shown they can get through a tie by beating Bohemians in the third qualifying round 5-2 on aggregate. They won 2-0 in the Czech Republic before wrapping it up with a 3-2 home victory.
That run shows a side capable of scoring away from home, and that changes everything in a second leg like this. One Danish goal at Rujevica would force Rijeka to score three.
The back three also gives them decent cover against a team that will have to open up. The wing-backs should find space on the break.
Midtjylland know these European nights and they know how to protect a first-leg lead. That experience matters when the game turns scrappy.
Their only real danger is conceding early and letting the Croatian crowd sense blood. Keeping things calm for the first 15 minutes has to be the priority.
Probable Rijeka line-up: Not available at the time of publication.
Probable Midtjylland line-up: Not available at the time of publication.
Conference League prediction Rijeka vs Midtjylland
Our prediction: Both teams to score
Rijeka have no choice but to come out swinging from the first minute if they are going to wipe out a two-goal deficit. That leaves space behind them.
Midtjylland showed in Herning that they can strike at the turning points, with goals from Cho Gue-sung and Johannesen. They also scored twice away to Bohemians in the previous round.
The both-teams-to-score bet, priced at around 1.75, fits the most likely script for the night. That is the angle to back in this second leg.
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