HJK Favoured to Strike First Against Korinthians

HJK Helsinki host Korinthians in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round on Thursday night. With greater European experience and home advantage on their side, HJK look well placed to take control of the tie in the opening leg.

HJK have featured in the Conference League in each of the past three seasons and reached the main stage twice, which underlines their pedigree in this competition. One notable example came in last season's first qualifying round, when they produced a remarkable comeback after losing the first leg 4-0 away to NSI Runavik. Back at home, they scored four times in normal time before adding another in extra time to complete a 5-4 aggregate turnaround. That showed both their resilience and the danger they carry on home soil.

In terms of recent form, HJK have won each of their last two home matches in all competitions, scoring two goals in both games. Teemu Pukki and Lee Erwin were among the scorers, giving the side a reliable attacking edge. On that basis, HJK deserve to be rated slightly higher for this match.

On the other side, Korinthians may have put together a run of wins in recent friendlies, but the overall quality of those results appears limited. On paper, they fall short of HJK and face a difficult task away from home. Their last appearance in European competition came in the 2021-22 season, when they were knocked out in the first round by Bosnian side Velez Mostar 4-2 on aggregate. Conceding four goals across the two legs exposed clear defensive issues, and facing an HJK side with strong attacking form at home could make this another difficult European night for them.