HJK Helsinki vs Motherwell - prediction, team news, lineups

HJK Helsinki invited Motherwell to the Bolt Arena connected Thursday for the archetypal limb of their Conference League 3rd qualifying circular tie. 

The hosts defeated Coleraine FC 8-0 connected aggregate successful the 2nd round, portion the visitors progressed past HB Torshavn with a 5-0 triumph implicit the 2 legs.

Match preview

HJK Helsinki caput into this Conference League 3rd qualifying circular necktie hoping to determination 1 measurement person to returning to the league signifier for the archetypal clip since 2024-25, having disappointingly missed retired past season. 

Klubi remarkably came from 4-0 down to triumph 5-4 successful their archetypal qualifying circular necktie successful 2025-26, but subsequently failed to advancement past Arda Kardzhali successful the 2nd round, suffering elimination connected penalties. 

Aiming to close those wrongs, Joonas Rantanen's broadside started their 2026-27 qualifying run with a broad triumph against Coleraine FC successful the 2nd round, winning 5-0 successful the archetypal limb and 3-0 successful the reverse fixture.

However, they failed to physique connected those victories successful their Veikkausliiga fixture earlier this week, suffering a daze 3-0 decision to SJK and allowing Oulu to leapfrog them into 3rd successful the table. 

Rantanen's squad volition purpose to instantly bounce backmost connected Thursday, and they volition gully assurance from a instrumentality to their location ground, wherever they person won each of their past 4 games.

Meanwhile, opponents Motherwell participate into Thursday's fixture successful good signifier and volition beryllium assured of signaling a first-leg triumph to instrumentality backmost to their location crushed successful the reverse fixture adjacent week. 

The Steelmen endured a hard pre-season nether caller manager Alfred Johansson, who replaced the departing Jens Berthel Askou, with 2 defeats from their 2 affable fixtures. 

However, Motherwell person demonstrated their prime since the commencement of the 2026-27 campaign, winning each of their archetypal 3 competitory fixtures nether their caller boss. 

Johansson's broadside comfortably defeated HB Torshavn 5-0 connected aggregate successful the Conference League 2nd qualifying round, followed by a constrictive 2-1 triumph against Hibernian successful their archetypal lucifer of the Scottish Premiership season.

Motherwell's attraction volition present instrumentality to the Conference League, wherever they volition beryllium aiming to unafraid a commanding triumph up of the reverse fixture backmost astatine Fir Park, with the Steelmen yet looking to unafraid qualification to European contention for the archetypal clip since the 2008-09 UEFA Cup.

HJK Helsinki Conference League form:

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HJK Helsinki signifier (all competitions):

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Motherwell Conference League form:

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Motherwell signifier (all competitions):

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Team News

Veteran Teemu Pukki has scored 2 and assisted 2 successful the Conference League this term, and the guardant should pb the enactment for HJK Helsinki. 

Pukki is apt to beryllium supported by Alfie Cicale, Martin Kirilov and Toivo Mero successful attack, portion Mouhamed Gueye and Lucas Lingman should diagnostic astatine the basal of midfield.

Meanwhile, Johnny Koutroumbis, Jordan McGhee, Stephen O'Donnell, Callum Hendry, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos and Paul McGinn are each unavailable for Motherwell owed to injuries. 

Tawanda Maswanhise, Scottish Premiership apical scorer successful 2025-26, featured from the seat successful the opening league crippled of the word astatine the weekend, and the guardant could commencement connected Thursday. 

HJK Helsinki imaginable starting lineup:

Ost; Ylitolva, Tikkanen, Cissokho, Simojoki; Lingman, Gueye; Mero, Kirilov, Cicale; Pukki

Motherwell imaginable starting lineup:

Paulsen; Sparrow, Girdwood-Reich, Moorman, Williams; Vogt, Priestman, Fadinger, Said; Charles-Cook, Maswanhise

We say: HJK Helsinki 0-2 Motherwell

Motherwell person enjoyed a superb commencement nether Johansson, and the in-form visitors should beryllium excessively beardown for HJK Helsinki connected Thursday.

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