Sports Mole previews Thursday’s Conference League clash between Strasbourg and Jagiellonia Bialystok, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Two sides looking to build on their respective opening-day success will face off on Thursday as Strasbourg welcome Jagiellonia Bialystok to Stade de la Meinau for Europa Conference League matchday two action.
Le Racing kicked off the campaign with a 2-1 victory at Slovan Bratislava, while their Polish visitors were 1-0 winners over Hamrun Spartans.
Match preview
Thanks to a seventh-place finish in Ligue 1 last season and a playoff triumph over Brondby, Strasbourg are back on the continental stage for the first time in two decades.
Le Racing, whose most recent European appearance came in the round of 16 of the 2005-06 UEFA Cup, began their Conference League journey in fine fashion with a commanding first half in Bratislava.
Liam Rosenior’s men took the lead in the 26th minute after Slovan midfielder Alasana Yirajang inadvertently turned the ball into his own net before Abdoul Ouattara doubled the advantage fifteen minutes later, leaving Rahim Ibrahim’s second-half effort as nothing more than a consolation.
That victory set the tone for a positive run of three unbeaten matches, with Strasbourg thrashing Angers 5-0 in Ligue 1 before earning a thrilling 3-3 draw away to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain over the weekend, a result that keeps Le Racing third in the standings.
The Blue and Whites have enjoyed a fine start to the 2025-26 season, winning seven of their 11 matches across all competitions (D2, L2), while three of those victories have come in five outings at La Meinau (L1, D1), underlining the team’s solid record at the ground.
Adding further belief is an unbeaten streak of 15 home matches in UEFA competition (W8, D7) when including qualifying rounds, a record Strasbourg would look to extend as they aim to build on their matchday one success.
Looking for inspiration of their own, Jagiellonia make the trip to France with genuine optimism, having gone seventeen matches across all competitions without defeat (W12, D5).
That impressive sequence includes their opening-day win over Hamrun, where Adrian Siemieniec’s side were rewarded with a 57th-minute strike from Jesus Imaz in a contest that saw them register seven shots on target, five more than their opponents.
The result sparked a run of three consecutive victories for Jagiellonia, who followed up with league triumphs over Korona Kielce (3-1) and Arka Gdynia (4-0) to remain top of the Polish top-flight standings, so Jaga might fancy their chances of claiming maximum points on Thursday.
The visitors are bidding to reach the knockout rounds of the Conference for a second successive season after last year’s remarkable debut campaign that saw them advance to the quarter-finals despite losing three of their six away fixtures (W2, D1) from the league phase onwards.
Strasbourg Conference League form:
Strasbourg form (all competitions):
Jagiellonia Bialystok Conference League form:
Jagiellonia Bialystok form (all competitions):
Team News
Strasbourg remain without defenders Mamadou Sarr and Saidou Sow, as both continue their recovery from thigh and knee injuries respectively.
Midfielder Maxi Oyedele (muscle) and forward Emanuel Emegha (hamstring) are also unavailable due to fitness problems.
Centre-back Ismael Doukoure faces a late fitness test after being forced off in stoppage time against PSG with what appeared to be a muscle issue.
Joaquin Panichelli currently leads the Ligue 1 scoring chart with seven goals after braces in back-to-back matches, and the Argentine will be full of confidence heading into Thursday’s contest as he seeks his first strike of the season on the continental front.
Apart from injured goalkeeper Slawomir Abramowicz, Jagiellonia have no other expected absentees, with Milosz Piekutowski set to keep his place between the sticks.
Afimico Pululu came off the bench to score twice in the win over Arka, and it would not be a surprise to see him start here having also featured from the outset on matchday one of the Conference League.
Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Penders; Ouatarra, Omabamidele, Hogsberg, Doue; El Mourabet, Barco; Moreira, Lemarechal, Enciso; Panichelli
Jagiellonia Bialystok possible starting lineup:
Piekutowski; Pozo, Vital, Pelmard, Wdowik; Lozano, Romanczuk; Sylla, Imaz, Pietuszewski; Pululu
We say: Strasbourg 2-0 Jagiellonia Bialystok
Both sides come into this in strong shape and have shown defensive discipline, with Strasbourg keeping four clean sheets in five home matches across all competitions this season, while Jagiellonia have managed shutouts in four of their last six outings.
That said, the home side are backed to take the spoils given their superior league pedigree, which should highlight the gulf in quality between both teams.
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