Our prediction for this Europa Conference League match:
There will be fireworks when Hibernian and Rijeka take on each other at Easter Road in the first leg of the Conference League third qualifying round. The Hibs set up a meeting with Rijeka by beating Santa Coloma, but they will have a much bigger fish to fry in the upcoming double-header. Considering that Hibernian looked sharp in front of goal in the season opener against Motherwell (3-2), we predict that the Scotts will find the net in Thursday’s qualifier.
Defender Sean Mackie remains on the sidelines through injury, but he should be the only absentee in the home team. Rijeka, on the other hand, eliminated Gzira in the second qualifying round. Since the Rijecki bijeli impressed in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb at the weekend, we believe that there is a big value in betting on both teams to score.
Highlighted Player (Jackson Irvine):
Romell Quioto is a pacey winger who plays for both Houston Dynamo and the Honduras national football team. Quioto was born in Balfate (Honduras) on August 9, 1991 and he played for Union Ajax during his youth career. The Honduras striker started his senior career at Vida and it has to be noted that he scored 20 goals in 77 appearances in the league for the club.
In 2012 he was sent on loan to Polish club Wisla Krakow, but he played no more than nine games for The White Star in Ekstraklasa. Romell Quioto then took a step forward in his career as he signed a contract with famous Honduras club Olimpia. After scoring 38 goals in 96 league fixtures for the capital club the 180-cm-tall attacker decided to taste MLS football.
Quioto moved to Houston Dynamo in December, 2016 and he has been playing for the Major League Soccer club ever since. Speaking of his international debut, Romell Quioto received his first call-up for Honduras on February 29, 2012 for a friendly game against Ecuador.
Highlighted Team (Hibernian):
Founded in August 1875, Hibernian are the Scottish Premier League team that play home matches at Easter Road. The capacity of the venue is 20,421, and it was opened in 1893. The Hibs wear light green shirts with white sleeves and white shorts in home matches, while light grey is the dominant colour of their away kit.
Hibernian clinched their first Scottish league trophy back in the 1902/03 season, and they were the dominant force in Scottish football in the early 50s, securing three titles more from 1948 to 1952. The Easter Road outfit recorded their biggest win on September 3, 1881, with the team rolling over Black Watch Highlanders 22-1.
In February 1961, the Hibs suffered the biggest defeat in the club's history as they were beaten by Airdrie 11-1. Hibernian and Hearts face each other in the Edinburgh derby. The rivalry between the two clubs is considered one of the oldest rivalries in world football.