Our prediction for this Europa Conference League match:
High-flying Legia Warsaw will look to extend their winning run to six games in all competitions when they face Dinamo Minsk in the Europa Conference League round 3. Legia have been producing excellent performances in the new format of the competition, beating both Real Betis and TSC in the process. Even though midfielder Bartosz Kapustka is banned for the match due to the accumulation of yellow cards, home win should be considered as Legia are more of a team than Dinamo Minsk.
The Belarusians do not seem to be competitive at this level, losing to both Hearts and HJK in the first two group games and they face yet another uphill task against Legia. Adding to their woes, talented forward Trofim Melnichenko is banned for the match, while both Sachivko and Silinsky are out of contention with injuries. The two teams meet for the first time in the competition.
Highlighted Team (Legia):
Legia is a football club based in Warsaw and it is one of the most successful sides in Polish history. The Militarians – as they are commonly referred to in Poland – have won 11 Ekstraklasa Championship title, while they also hold the record-18 Polish Cup trophies and four Polish SuperCup matches.
Founded as the main official football club of the Polish Army, Legia Warsaw are playing theirhome matches at the Polish Army Stadium which can accommodate 31,000 people. Legia have endured mixed fortunes at the international scene with the Polish giants regularly participating in Europa League, with four group inclusions over the last six years. The Militarians headed into the 2016-17 season feeling buoyed and motivated having succeeded in ending the 20-year Champions League wait, becoming the first Polish team to take part in Europe’s elite competition over the last two decades.
The 3-1 aggregate playoff victory over Irish Dundalk earned them a place in the final showpiece with Legia being thrown into a heavy mix with the likes of Sporting CP, Borussia Dortmund and European champions Real Madrid.