St Mirren grabbed a last-gasp goal to avoid defeat against Brann in Paisley but will need a much-improved display to topple the Norwegians on the road and reach the play-off round of the UEFA Conference League.
I thought that first-leg clash would be tight and all three of my bets came up as the teams battled out a 1-1 draw to leave this tie in the balance heading into the Bergen return.
But Brann will be kicking themselves for failing to take a lead back home as they bossed most of the game and didn't look like conceding until Toyosi Olusanya stabbed home that late leveller.
The Norwegians have lost just one of their last 10 games in all competition and had the weekend off to prepare for another crack at St Mirren.
Stephen Robinson's men didn't have that luxury and lost 3-1 at Aberdeen on Sunday, their first defeat of the new campaign. They now have to rouse themselves for the trip to Bergen and St Mirren need a huge performance to keep their Euro hopes alive.
How the bookies view it: Brann red-hot favourites at home
With Brann in excellent form, it's no surprise to see them as Betfred's favourites to progress, although their price looks too short at 1/9 to qualify and 1/4 for a win on the night. St Mirren are 5/1 to reach the next round and the odds increase to 17/2 for a win inside 90 minutes. A draw takes us into extra time and that pays 4/1.
Head to head: Buddies seek spirit of 1987
That late leveller in Paisley made it three games unbeaten for St Mirren against Norwegian opposition. They also faced Tromso in the Cup Winners' Cup back in 1987 and won 1-0 on aggregate, with their trip to Norway ending in a 0-0 draw.
Players to watch: Felix can bare his claws again
Felix Myhre pulled the strings in midfield for Brann in the first leg and capped a dominant display by scoring their goal. The playmaker is 3/1 with Bet365 to score again and that looks a little overpriced.
St Mirren boss Robinson thought first-leg goal hero Olusanya would be suspended in Norway after picking up a yellow card but he got it wrong as you need to pick up three bookings for a ban in the qualifiers. That's good news as he has scored in his last two games and Bet365 price the striker at 5/1 for another strike.
Probable line-ups
Brann should stick with the team that played so well in Paisley but Robinson could make a few changes. Olusanya started on the bench last week but should get the nod for the return after his recent scoring run. Captain Mark O'Hara could miss out again with a thigh injury.
Brann: Dyngeland, Hellan, Knudsen, Soltvedt, Kristiansen, Pedersen, Myhre, Kornvig, Warming, Castro, Finne.
St Mirren: Balcombe, Taylor, Gogic, Brown, Fraser, Smyth, Idowu, Rooney, Boyd-Munce, Ayunga, Olusanya.
Anything else catch the eye?
Brann looked a cut above St Mirren for long spells in the first leg so they should win with a bit to spare on home soil. A win to nil for the Norwegians pays 21/20 at Betfred while backing Brann to score in both halves is 5/6.
There was bad blood in Paisley with Brann upset that St Mirren didn't kick the ball out just before their leveller when one of their players had cramp. The Buddies collected six cards too so it could pay to back another busy night for the referee.
I've yet to see a market for total cards but Bet365 do have prices for certain players going in the book. All-action Alex Gogic is 11/8 to go in the book again while the odds are longer for Marcus Fraser at 10/3.
This UEFA Europa League Conference match between Brann and St Mirren will be played on Aug 15, 2024 and kick off at 18:00. Check below for our tipsters best Brann vs St Mirren prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
