Hibernians FC Paola vs Flora Tallinn Prediction & Betting Tips - Champions League

Prediction published on 10/07/2021, 08:45  by Richard in Champions League Prediction

This fixture is a Champions League First Qualification Round second leg and takes places at the MFA Cententary Stadium in Malta on Tuesday evening.  Hibernians will be looking to bounce from their opening leg defeat as they went down 2-0 in Estonia to Flora Tallinn.  Neither side has to worry about away goals this campaign as UEFA have scrapped that rule for this competition.

Hibernians qualified for this stage by coming runners-up in the Malta Premier League and stepping into the place of Hamrun Spartans who won the title but are serving a historical ban imposed by UEFA.  They were a little unlucky to lose the first-leg 2-0 with the game being goalless going into the 73rd minute before the sending off of Hibernians player Sergio Raphael.  His dismissal was followed by a Rauno Sappinent brace in the last 15 minutes to hand Talinn a huge advantage.

Flora Tallinn qualified for this stage by winning their second successive Estonian league title and for the 13th time in their history.  They will take heart from not only their 2-0 first leg lead but the fact they knocked a Malta team out of a European competition (Europa League) last season.  The Maltese outfit can take comfort from the fact that Talinn have lost all seven previous games on the road in the Champions League.