The first match of the first qualifying round of the 2025/26 Conference League between Urartu (Armenia) and Neman (Belarus) will take place on July 10 at the Urartu Stadium in Yerevan. Urartu vs. Neman: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Urartu
The team qualified for the Conference League thanks to their third-place finish in last season's championship. Urartu will be participating in the Conference League for the fourth time, having previously advanced beyond the first qualifying round in this European competition. In the 2024/25 season, the Armenians were eliminated in the second qualifying round of the Conference League, losing to Czech side Banik over two legs (1-5, 0-2).
Notably, during the current off-season, the team parted ways with goalkeeper Alexander Melikhov. Additionally, Urartu has appointed a new head coach, Robert Arzumanyan.
- The club has lost in regular time in 7 of their last 8 home matches in European competitions.
- The team has not scored more than once in 90 minutes in 6 of their last 8 home games in European competitions.
- A maximum of two goals have been scored in regular time in 4 of the last 5 home matches for the Armenians in European competitions.
Predicted lineup for Urartu (4-5-1)
Gor Matinyan – Hariton Ayvazyan, Alexander Putsko, Dmitry Tikhiy, Zhirayr Margaryan – Bruno Santana, Oleg Polyakov, Artemiy Gunko, Alef, Artem Polyarus – Karen Melkonyan.
Neman
The club earned the right to play in the Conference League by winning the Belarus Cup last season. Moreover, Neman finished second in the previous championship and would have qualified for this European competition regardless. In the current Premier League season, the Grodno team is in the upper part of the standings but trails the leading ML Vitebsk by 11 points. Previously, Neman participated in the Conference League qualifiers twice, with their best achievement being reaching the third qualifying round in the 2023/24 season.
- The team has not won in regular time in 4 of their last 5 away matches in European competitions (2 draws, 2 losses).
- No more than two goals have been scored in 90 minutes in 4 of the last 5 away matches for the club in European competitions.
- Neman's players have not scored in regular time in 4 of their last 5 away matches in European competitions.
Predicted lineup for Neman (4-5-1)
Maxim Belov – Konstantin Kuchinsky, Egor Parkhomenko, Ivan Sadovnichiy, Yuri Pantya – Oleg Evdokimov, Andrey Yakimov, Egor Zubovich, Mikhail Kozlov, Anton Suchkov – Pavel Savitsky.
Referee
Mateo Erceg (Croatia)
Matches – 21 (Croatian Championship, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 87;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.1;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 5%.
Match Prediction: Urartu vs. Neman
Neither team can boast remarkable results on the European stage. Urartu has suffered seven defeats in their last eight home matches in European competitions and has rarely delighted fans with a bright attacking play. During this stretch, the Armenians have scored only five goals and failed to score in five instances. However, they have conceded more than one goal only twice in their last six home matches in European competitions.
Neman presents a similar picture: just one win in their last five away matches in European competitions. Moreover, during this period, the Belarusians have scored just two goals, both against Vaduz from Liechtenstein. At the same time, the Grodno team rarely allowed their opponents to create many scoring opportunities: in their last four Conference League encounters, the team conceded only twice and kept a clean sheet twice.
I do not expect to see high-scoring football from these opponents, so my prediction: Total under 2.5 goals
