Larne vs FK Auda Predictions

• Larne are unbeaten in their last ten competitive matches
• The Welsh side conceded under a goal a game in those ten games
• Larne qualified for the League Phase last season

European Nights Return as Larne Host Latvian Visitors

Larne kick off their Europa Conference League campaign on Thursday night when they host Latvian side FK Auda in the first leg of their first qualifying round tie at Ballymena Showgrounds instead of their regular ground Inver Park. The Northern Irish side finished second in the NIFL Premiership last season and will be hoping to pick up from where they left off.

They’re no strangers to European qualifiers, having qualified for the League phase last season.  and their recent form suggests they could be well-equipped for another run. Across their last 10 competitive matches, Larne are unbeaten, with five wins and five draws in all competitions. Their defensive record has been a strength, averaging under one goal conceded per game during that spell, and they’ve tended to control games at home.

Auda, meanwhile, come into this tie off the back of a mixed domestic campaign in Latvia. They finished third in the 2024 season to qualify for Europe and have had mixed form this season, sitting in third but well off the top two. That said, they’ve also maintained a good defensive record, conceding 23 in 22 games

This is the first ever meeting between the two clubs, and with the return leg in Latvia next week, both teams will be keen to avoid a damaging first-leg result.

This should be a cagey game, but with a home crowd, I’m backing a narrow 1-0 win for the hosts to take a slim advantage into the second leg.