Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Conference League match.
Rapid Vienna were held to a 1:1 draw in Banja Luka, but remain overwhelming favourites to advance to the next round. Despite their struggles in the Austrian Bundesliga, the gap in quality between the two teams is significant, and Rapid should make their superiority count in Vienna.
Rapid Vienna
The Austrian club failed to win their last two matches, following up the draw in Bosnia with a 1:2 defeat to Hartberg in the Bundesliga. They have slipped to sixth place in the domestic table, but that shouldn’t undermine their clear advantage. Austria sit 13th in UEFA’s coefficient rankings, while Bosnia and Herzegovina are 34th, underlining the gulf between these leagues.
Borac Banja Luka
Borac struggle even in their own league, as shown by their 1:1 draw with Željezničar, despite playing the final 10 minutes with a numerical advantage. Their away record in this season’s Conference League is concerning—they’ve only scored one goal in four away matches, scraping past APOEL (1:0), but failing to win at Olimpija (0:0), Vikingur (0:2), and Shamrock Rovers (0:3).
Rapid Vienna vs Borac Banja Luka Prediction
With Rapid back on home turf, Borac’s defensive resilience won’t hold up. The visitors have a poor record in away European fixtures, while Rapid’s superior squad depth should prove decisive. Expect the hosts to dominate and secure a comfortable win.
