HJK vs RFS betting tips: Champions League First Qualifying Round First Leg preview, predictions and odds

Recommended bets

Under 2.5 goals is 1/1.

HJK to win and both teams to score NO is 7/4. 

Match preview

Will Finnish Champions HJK make home advantage count in this first leg?

In 2021, Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi won their 31st Veikkausliiga title, 22 more than anyone else, meaning they have plenty of European experience.

This'll be HJK's 163rd match in UEFA competition with their first coming way back in 1965 against Manchester United.

In more modern times, they've got all the way to two group stages, the Europa League in 2014 and the Europa Conference League last season.

So, Toni Koskela's team will be targeting more group phase football in 2022, confident of coming through this first qualifying round clash.

RFS meantime were crowned Latvian champions for the very-first time in 2021; they're currently second with just over half the season having been played.

In Europe, they actually lost their first two ties, beaten by Olimpija Ljubljana in 2019 and then Partizan Belgrade 12 months later.

Last season though, they put out both Klaksvíkar Ítróttarfelag and Puskás Akadémia, before falling to Gent in the third qualifying round.

Betted by that experience, FK Rīgas will be hopeful of a similarly lengthy run this year.

Whoever wins this tie will take on Viktoria Plzeň in the Champions League second qualifying round.

It's not over for the losers; they'll drop into the Europa Conference League third qualifying round.

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