KILMARNOCK fell at the first hurdle in Europa League qualifying but have a second crack at glory in the Conference League with a third-round qualifier against Norwegian side Tromso.
Derek McInnes' side were written off by the bookies against Cercle Brugge but they held the Belgians to a 1-1 draw in Ayrshire before coming up just short with a 1-0 defeat on the road on a night when all three of our Super Singles landed.
Reaching the group stage of the Europa League always looked like a tall order for Kilmarnock but they have a better chance in Europe's third-tier competition.
A play-off with either FC Copenhagen or Banik Ostrava awaits if they can get past Tromso and the Norwegian side are in poor form as they sit just above the drop zone in their domestic league.
Tromso finished third last term to bank a European slot but have collected just 18 points from 18 games in the new campaign. They defeated Finnish side KPS Kuopio in the last round of the Conference League but aren't as formidable a foe as Cercle Brugge so Kilmarnock will fancy their chances.
How the bookies view it: Killie just have the edge
Kilmarnock are slight favourites with home advantage and Betfred price them at 6/4. Brann are 8/5 shots while a second successive European draw at Rugby Park pays 11/5.
Head to head: Another Viking invasion
These sides have never faced off before but Kilmarnock do have previous when it comes to battling Norwegian teams in Europe. They took on Viking Stavanger in the UEFA Cup in 2001 and lost 3-1 on aggregate, with the home leg ending in a 1-1 draw.
Players to watch: Kyle holds the key for Kilmarnock
Skipper Kyle Vassell is fundamental to the way Kilmarnock play and his hold-up play is superb. His header deflected off David Watson for the goal against Cercle and Bet365 price the target man at 9/4 for a goal here.
Tromso have struggled for goals this term but Lasse Nordas has still managed to net seven times. He looks like their best bet for a goal in Scotland and Bet365 price him at 5/2 for anytime scorer.
Probable teams
Robbie Deas returns from a domestic ban for Kilmarnock and that's a boost after Kilmarnock's makeshift defence was ripped apart by Celtic on Sunday. Defender Mamadou Barry went off at half-time in Tromso's loss to Rosenborg and could be a doubt here.
Kilmarnock: McCrorie, Wright, Mayo, Deas, Lyons, Armstrong, Watson, Donnelly, Vassell, Kennedy.
Tromso: Haugaard, Skjaervik, Jenssen, Paintsil, Guddal, Norheim, Hjerto-Dahl, Antonsen, Yttergard Jenssen, Nordas, Romsaas.
Anything else catch the eye?
Tromso's games have been dull as dishwater of late, with six of their last seven outings seeing one goal or fewer. Kilmarnock have also netted just once in three outings this term so it doesn't bode well for a thriller.
Those stats make under 2.5 goals pretty appealing at evens with Betfred while betting against BTTS looks good too at 5/4.
We saw 16 corners when Cercle Brugge came to Rugby Park and 10 of them went to the home side. Backing over 10 corners in this tie looks good at 5/4 with Bet365 while backing Killie at -1 in that handicap pays the same price.
This UEFA Europa League Conference match between Kilmarnock and Tromso will be played on Aug 8, 2024 and kick off at 19:00. Check below for our tipsters best Kilmarnock vs Tromso prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
