Egnatia Rrogozhine vs. Petrocub Hincesti - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to beforehand to the 2nd qualifying circular successful the Champions League, Egnatia Rrogozhine and Petrocub Hincesti look disconnected astatine Arena Egnatia with the necktie level aft last week's archetypal leg.  

The Albanian outfit responded to falling down to find an equaliser earlier the break, giving them a beardown accidental of advancement to the adjacent circular astatine the disbursal of the Hincesti Lions, who could not exploit their 45-minute 11-v-10 advantage.

Match preview

It goes without saying that Nevil Dede would person been pleased with his team's effect astatine Stadionul Zimbru past week, with Egnatia showcasing their battling qualities and resoluteness.  

The Rrogozhine-based nine fell down to Petru Popescu's extremity wrong the opening infinitesimal of the archetypal limb successful Moldova, leaving them facing an uphill situation successful their archetypal competitory lucifer since May.  

Rather than mope and fto heads drop, Dede's squad responded positively and recovered a mode backmost into the crippled 10 minutes earlier the interval, with Altin Kryeziu levelling proceedings aft 35 minutes.  

However, nary sooner had the Albanian nine celebrated than they had cardinal midfielder Albano Aleksi dismissed for a foul connected the changeable of the break, meaning they had to withstand Petrocub's second-half bombardment.  

That was yet survived arsenic the Albanian champions held connected for the 2nd half's entirety to caput into Wednesday's fixture encouraged and aiming to beforehand past the archetypal circular of Champions League qualifying for the archetypal time, having been unsuccessful successful 2024-25 and past season.

Hoping to beryllium third-time fortunate aft a punishment shootout nonaccomplishment to Borac Banja Luka successful 2024 and a dense 5-1 aggregate hammering by Breidablik 12 months ago, Dede aims to usher his troops to a gathering with Celje successful the adjacent round.  

Petrocub volition anticipation to debar immoderate specified result arsenic the Hincesti Lions look to determination connected from their disappointment of not taking vantage of an aboriginal lead.  

What was doubly jarring for Shota Makharadze's broadside was their inability to people a much-needed winning extremity contempt playing against 10 men.  

With their lone defeats successful 2026 coming astatine the hands of Sheriff successful mid-March and mid-May, the Moldovan champions look to widen their tally of avoiding losses to everyone other and unafraid a spot successful the adjacent round.  

Be that arsenic it may, simply avoiding a nonaccomplishment successful 90 minutes oregon other clip whitethorn not suffice, arsenic determination remains a anticipation of an exit connected penalties if the necktie remains level aft Wednesday's meeting.  

For that to beryllium achieved, the White-Blacks indispensable decorativeness amended than they did successful Saturday's 1-1 league gully distant astatine Balti, for whom goalkeeper Artur Nazarciuc was successful inspired signifier to support the people level.  

Looking to lucifer their 2024-25 tally of reaching the 2nd qualifying round, Petrocub anticipation to wounded Egnatia's prospects to beforehand connected Wednesday. 

Egnatia Rrogozhine Champions League form:

Petrocub Hincesti Champions League form:

Petrocub Hincesti signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Egnatia volition beryllium without the suspended Aleksi aft the 33-year-old midfielder's dismissal past week, though Dede different seems to person a steadfast squad.  

While Alessandro Albanese and Soumaila Bakayoko failed to find the backmost of the nett successful the reverse fixture, the final-third onus volition beryllium connected some players to present the goods aft their goalscoring exploits successful the title-winning 2025-26 season.  

Daniel Adjessa's six goals whitethorn person fallen down the duo; however, helium possesses genuine match-winning imaginable to assistance the location team's prospects.  

Makharadze's Petrocub broadside ostensibly avoided injuries successful their league stalemate implicit the weekend, giving the Hincesti Lions a comparatively acceptable squad for the midweek fixture.  

While Popescu has yet to people successful the league this term, past season's 15-goal guardant remains the team's starring marksman, highlighted by his first-minute opener successful the 1-1 first-leg draw.  

Nonetheless, with Dan Puscas and Nicolae Rotaru netting 3 apiece, the distant broadside person capable attacking threats to assistance Popescu successful Rrogozhine.

Egnatia Rrogozhine imaginable starting lineup:

Dajsinani; Sota, Bitri, Xhemajli; Jaime, Kryeziu, Medeiros, Yago; Albanese; Gruda, Bakayoko   

Petrocub Hincesti imaginable starting lineup:

Avram; Jardan, Bors, Djou, Cucos, Platica; Bogaciuc, David, Puscas, Lupan; Popescu

We say: Egnatia Rrogozhine 2-1 Petrocub Hincesti (Egnatia Rrogozhine triumph 3-2 connected aggregate)

Despite the lack of skipper Aleksi, Egnatia's battling qualities without the dismissed midfielder past week demonstrated their adaptability.  

Given their match-winning depth, the Rrogozhine-based nine should backmost themselves to scope the 2nd qualifying circular successful Europe astatine Petrocub's expense.

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