Sligo Rovers vs Motherwell Predictions

• Sligo have won just two of their last eight two-legged European ties
• Motherwell have won three of their previous four second qualifying round ties
• Sligo are on a run of just two wins in 14 home European matches

Sligo hoping to hold on

A shock 1-0 win in Scotland last week gives Sligo the upper-hand going into this fixture, but the Irish side have never won both legs of a European tie.

Indeed, Rovers have a pretty dismal record in continental competition, only once passing the second qualifying hurdle – when they had a bye to the third round of qualifying for the Europa League in 2011/12.

John Russell’s side are playing well domestically, losing just one of their last six, but equally they have picked up just three victories in 11.

Can Motherwell bounce back?

The suspicion is that Motherwell were somewhat under-cooked for last week’s first leg, as it was only their second game of the summer following a 5-1 friendly win over Austrian side Vorwärts Steyr.

Graham Alexander’s side will hope to be a bit sharper this time around, and can take confidence from a reasonably strong finish to last season in which they lost five of their final twelve.

This is their first foray into the Conference League, but the Steelmen have only once previously been knocked out at the second qualifying hurdle in Europe, winning a further three ties.

I predict that Motherwell will win this game to reach the next round, with a 2-0 victory my correct score prediction.