Borac Banja Luka will host Rapid Vienna in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League Round of 16 tie. While the Austrian side comes into this clash as the favourite, their recent form suggests this encounter may be more evenly matched than it appears on paper.
Borac Banja Luka
The Bosnian league resumed in early February, and since then, Borac Banja Luka have solidified their position in second place. They also secured a win over Famos Vojkovići in the first leg of their domestic cup quarter-final. In the previous Conference League knockout round, they edged past Slovenian side Olimpija Ljubljana (1:0, 0:0). However, they will be without left-back Sebastián Herrera, who picked up a booking in the second leg against Olimpija and is suspended for this match.
Rapid Vienna
Rapid currently sit fifth in the Austrian Bundesliga, having dropped a place since the league’s resumption. Their post-winter break form has been underwhelming, with just one win in four matches—a 5:0 thrashing of bottom-placed Rheindorf Altach, which does little to prove their strength. More telling was their away defeat to direct rivals LASK (1:2). Leading scorer Dion Beljo (15 goals this season) has found the net just once in his last six league outings, and veteran forward Guido Burgstaller—playing in his final season—has been recovering from a skull fracture and may not be available until the return leg.
Borac Banja Luka vs Rapid Vienna Prediction
Borac Banja Luka have proven resilient at home in European competition, avoiding defeat in all their group-stage matches, including against a strong Panathinaikos side. Given Rapid Vienna’s struggles, the hosts are well-positioned to at least secure a draw.
