MOTHERWELL will be looking to leave their dismal domestic form behind when they return to the Europa League qualifiers with a clash against Glentoran.
Only goal difference is keeping the Steelmen off the foot of the table after taking just two points from their first five matches since the Premiership resumption.
I tipped Stephen Robinson's men to get their campaign up and running with a derby win against pointless Hamilton at the weekend only for Accies to claim a 1-0 win at Fir Park (below).
The Well boss made some shrewd signings in the summer, bringing in the likes of Rickie Lamie, Stephen O'Donnell and Jake Hastie, but his side have failed to deliver so far.
They have also lost midfield star David Turnbull to Celtic just hours before kick off in this Euro tie with Glentoran so a win is a must to boost morale around the club.
It's Motherwell's first European tie since 2014, when they were knocked out 5-4 on aggregate by Icelandic side Stjarnan. That made it five Euro aggregate defeats in a row but they had been up against top sides before that in the shape of Krasnodar, Levante, Panathinaikos and Odense.
Well's last Euro triumph was a 4-1 aggregate win over Norway's Aaleslund a decade ago but they should have enough to see off Glentoran if they can shake off their malaise.
The Northern Irish side just sneaked past Torshavn of the Faroes in the last round and come into the tie undercooked after a lack of domestic action.
How the bookies view it
Glentoran are as big as 12/1 with Genting to win in 90 minutes which may tempt a few punters given Well's start to the season. The draw pays 5/1 with most firms while Mothewell's best price is 1/4 at Betfair Exchange.
There's little value in a Well victory so back them to win to nil at 11/10 with Paddy Power. With the exception of a 2-2 draw with Livingston, Well have been pretty tight at the back and they managed to shut out Hibs at Easter Road.
Glentoran only scored once against Torshavn so that suggests they might find it tough to breach Robinson's defence.
Players to watch
Motherwell can't buy a goal, drawing blanks in four of their five games this season. They've only netted twice, through midfielders Turnbull and Allan Campbell, with their hitman misfiring.
It's hard to predict who will start up front but I'm going to have a punt on Chris Long, who netted 11 times last term. The Englishman is 5/6 with McBookie for anytime scorer and 7/2 to break the deadlock.
Robbie McDaid was the Glentoran hero in the last round and netted 15 times in 14 league appearances last term. He's 12/5 with McBookie to find the net at Fir Park.
Anything else catch the eye?
Given Motherwell's troubles in front of goal, I'm wary of betting on a lot of strikes in this tie. Under 3.5 goals pays 3/4 at McBookie and that looks a decent option while under 2.5 strikes is priced 2/1 by the same firm.
Betting against both teams to score pays 17/20 at Paddy Power so it might be an idea to put those two bets together as a double. The game might take time to get going so backing the second half for most goals also appeals at 21/20 with William Hill.
This UEFA Europa League match between Motherwell and Glentoran will be played on Aug 27, 2020 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Motherwell vs Glentoran prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
