Brighton vs FK Kauno Zalgiris Predictions

• This is Kauno Zalgiris’ first game in the league phase of a European competition
• Brighton have won five of their last eight games without conceding
• The visitors shipped eight without reply in their last two European away matches

Conference League favourites Brighton to assert dominance

Brighton have had a red-hot start to the season and the Conference League favourites get their European campaign underway against one of the biggest-priced outsiders in the competition, Kauno Zalgiris.

The visitors won the Lithuanian top flight last season and beat Drita and KI in Champions League qualifying before back-to-back defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Besiktas saw them fall into this competition.

This is the first time that they have ever qualified for the league phase of a European competition and they face an extremely tough task in their opening game.

Brighton have won six of their last eight games and beat Sunderland 2-0 at the weekend with just ten men.

Since a goalless draw with Tromso in their first game of the season, Fabian Hurzeler’s men have scored 25 goals in eight matches.

That does not bode well for Kauno Zalgiris, who lost their away trips to Dinamo Zagreb and Besiktas by an aggregate score of 8-0.

Expect Brighton to shuffle the pack with a big clash against rivals Crystal Palace at the weekend but it should make little difference.

The hosts are taken to overcome a three-goal deficit on the handicap in this clash. The away team have failed to score in their last three European away games and a 5-0 win for Brighton is the correct score pick.