Read our prediction for Piast Gliwice (Pol) vs Hartberg (Aut) below. This preview was written by a sport journalist who is specialised in betting tips and predictions. Use our betting tips for the match between Piast Gliwice (Pol) vs Hartberg (Aut) and you can increase your winnings!
Piast Gliwice (Pol) vs Hartberg (Aut) Prediction & Betting tips
92 teams are represented in the second qualifying round for the UEFA Europa League, the promoted team in the third – of four – rounds is determined in just one game. From an Austrian point of view, the international debut of TSV Hartberg is the focus. In Poland there will be a duel between Piast Gliwice and Hartberg on Thursday evening.
While the Styrians will be able to sniff international air for the first time, the team from the Upper Silesian city will be represented in Europe for the fourth time. However, the balance sheet so far is anything but positive, nevertheless the best bookmakers see Piast Gliwice against Hartberg as favorites according to current odds.
In addition to the preview for this game, a number of other games from the second qualifying round have been analyzed in the Europa League category and provided with a forecast.
Piast Gliwice:
The club, founded in 1945, has been an integral part of the Polish upper house of football since the 2012/13 season and achieved the greatest success in the club’s history in 2018/19 when the title was completely surprising. The Fornalik-Elf did not succeed in defending their title, but the third place in the table 2019/20 could again be described as a satisfactory season.
The home game against TSV Hartberg means Poland’s fourth participation in an international qualification. The previous appearances were by no means particularly successful, because in 2013/14 the club failed to Qarabag Agdam from Azerbaijan, in 2016/17 the Swedes from Gothenburg were one size too big in the Europa League qualification.
Twelve months ago Piast Gliwice was briefly allowed to sniff the Champions League air, but had to admit defeat to the Belarusians by BATE Borisov and then failed in the Europa League qualification to Riga. After all, in this game against the Latvians the first international victory in the club’s history was achieved, but due to the away goals rule, Piast Gliwice still lost out.
At the national level, things have been absolutely positive for the Poles in recent years, nothing of that to be seen in the first rounds of the new season. The third place in the table last season has not won any of the three previous games and has not even scored a single goal. Only a goalless draw last weekend is on the credit side.
Hartberg:
In the 2016/17 season, TSV Hartberg from a community of almost 7,000 people played in the third-class regional league center. Since then, the Styrian story has been like a fairy tale that nobody would have dreamed of. By increasing the Austrian Bundesliga to twelve clubs, Hartberg got into the top division. The club was only able to fix relegation on the last day of the premiere year.
In the often difficult second year, head coach Markus Schopp’s team caused countless surprises. The relegation battle was quickly ticked off and was no longer an issue before the two-month forced break. In the basic round, the outsider won a top six place and was thus represented as a blatant underdog in the championship round.
Every point gained was described as a surprise in advance. In the ten final ghost games, the club collected a remarkable 13 points and thus fought for fifth place in the final accounts. In the Europa League play-off final against Vienna Austria, Hartberg was again considered an outsider, but prevailed with a total score of 3: 2 and fixed the EL debut. Even if Hartberg is a team that is always good for surprises, a bet on Thursday does not necessarily appear to be recommended.
In the 1: 1 opener against Cashpoint SCR Altach, Hartberg delivered a very weak first half, but at least improved in round two. With a similar performance, the outsider will have to pay the hard way internationally. The situation is made more difficult by the failures of Lema and Nimaga, who both play a central role in TSV’s game.