Connah's Quay vs KF Ballkani preview

Europe flag 2026/2027 Europa Conference League, Europe
Llanelian Road Today - 5:30 PM
Europa Conference League
Connah's Quay Connah's Quay
KF Ballkani KF Ballkani
KICKOFF : Today - 5:30 PM
1st Qualifying Round Leg 1 of 2

CONTEXT

Connah's Quay welcome KF Ballkani to Llanelian Road for the opening leg of their Europa Conference League first qualifying round tie. KF Ballkani carry a modest power edge, reflected in their 52.25 rating against the hosts' 49.7, which equates to a 2.6-point advantage on the scale. Both sides lack recent domestic form readings, leaving the fixture reliant on underlying structural metrics rather than current momentum. The venue offers Connah's Quay a familiar setting, yet the visitors' slight overall superiority suggests they may dictate early patterns. With no league positions available and domestic records absent, attention turns to how each unit manages the transition from defence to attack and their ability to create chances without set-piece reliance. The encounter marks the start of a two-legged contest where the first 90 minutes will shape the return fixture.

TL;DR

  • Structural: Connah's Quay host KF Ballkani at Llanelian Road in the first leg of the Europa Conference League first qualifying round.
  • Form: Both teams enter this match with a form score of zero due to limited recent data.
  • Squad: KF Ballkani hold a slight power advantage of 2.6 points over Connah's Quay.
  • Efficiency: Efficiency metrics are not available for either side in this fixture.
  • Transition: Transition play data remains unavailable ahead of this encounter.
  • Set pieces: Set piece analysis shows low confidence with proxy data used for both teams.
  • xVariable: The xVariable highlights KF Ballkani as the stronger side with a power score of 52.25 compared to 49.7.
  • Market: Connah's Quay 12.7% (Δ+0.2%) | Draw 20.6% (Δ+0.2%) | KF Ballkani 66.7% (Δ-0.4%).
No standings statistics available.
No head-to-head records found.
0.5+ goals: 85%
1.5+ goals: 70%
2.5+ goals: 50%
3.5+ goals: 25%
Confidence: High (≥8 matches)

Quality vs Volume

Home: xG 1.8, Shots 12, xG/Shot 0.15
Away: xG 1.5, Shots 14, xG/Shot 0.11

Open Play vs Set Play

Open Play: 65%
Set Play: 35%

Expected Points

TeamxPts
Home1.8
Away1.2
ℹ️ Methodology: Expected Goals (xG) measures shot quality
Jan 25 vs Team A
Feb 1 vs Team B
Feb 8 vs Team C
Connah's Quay Connah's Quay
Connah's Quay
VS
KF Ballkani KF Ballkani
KF Ballkani
0
Avg Points / Game (Last 100 Matches)
0
0 i
Avg Points / Game (Last 6 Matches)
0 i
0
Head to Head (Wins - Draws - Losses)
0 - 0 - 0
0
No sidelined player data available.

Win Probabilities

Live Win Probability (90 Min)
Home Connah's Quay
12.66%
Draw
20.62%
Away KF Ballkani
66.73%

Movement

Changes since opening
Connah's Quay
+0.16%
Draw
+0.23%
KF Ballkani
-0.37%

Team Power Ranking

i
What is Power Ranking?
Power ranking is SportMonks' model-based team strength indicator. Historical input capped to 2 seasons.
49.7
52.25
0 (Weakest) 100 (Strongest)
Metric
Connah's Quay
KF Ballkani
Power Score
49.7
52.25
League Position
-
-
Global Rank
775
706

Form Analysis Opponent-Weighted

Line chart of recent results (points/trend). Friendlies excluded by default. Hover for opponent, result, xG/xGA and power ranking — based on last 6 matches.

–
vs
Connah's Quay — Opponent-weighted form score
KF Ballkani — Opponent-weighted form score
Win (3 pts) Draw (1 pt) Loss (0 pts) Connah's Quay KF Ballkani

Team Head to Head Last 6 Seasons

Summary of 0 matches between these sides — filtered by competition and venue context.

Connah's Quay Connah's Quay Home
0 matches
KF Ballkani KF Ballkani Away
Match Record
0
Wins
0
0
Draws
0
0
Losses
0
Goals
0
Goals Scored
0
0
Goals Conceded
0
0
Goal Difference
0
Expected Goals
0
xG
0
0
xGA
0

Data last updated: 2026-07-06T00:03:30+00:00

General Information

Date & Time
Jul 08, 2026, 05:30 PM
Competition
2026/2027 Europa Conference League, Europe · 1st Qualifying Round · Leg 1 of 2
Stadium
Llanelian Road
Capacity
2500
Pitch Surface
Grass
Weather
☀️ 12°C, Fair
Referees
Jóhann Ingi Jónsson
Ragnar Þór Bender
Kristján Már Ólafs
Þórður Þorsteinn Þórðarson

Squad

Referee : Jóhann Ingi Jónsson

Squad ▼

6
Dan Cowan
Dan Cowan Defender
4
James Jones
James Jones Defender
3
Shane Flynn
Shane Flynn Defender
22
Joseph Ferguson
Joseph Ferguson Defender
21
Marco Fregapane
Marco Fregapane Defender
20
Iwan Murray
Iwan Murray Midfielder
23
Abdulrahman Sharif
Abdulrahman Sharif Midfielder
11
M. Stone
M. Stone Midfielder
16
Frankie Deane
Frankie Deane Midfielder
8
Callum West
Callum West Midfielder
—
Jayden Tang
Jayden Tang Midfielder
10
Zeli Ismail
Zeli Ismail Attacker
7
Darren Stephenson
Darren Stephenson Attacker
9
Jason Oswell
Jason Oswell Attacker
12
Harry Franklin
Harry Franklin Attacker
18
Max Woodcock
Max Woodcock Attacker
27
Freddie Redshaw
Freddie Redshaw Attacker
Referee : Jóhann Ingi Jónsson

Squad ▼

25
Adnan Golubović
Adnan Golubović Goalkeeper
1
Artan Iljazi
Artan Iljazi Goalkeeper
—
Art Miftari
Art Miftari Goalkeeper
—
Ideal Bytyqi
Ideal Bytyqi Goalkeeper
32
Bajram Jashanica
Bajram Jashanica Defender
96
Bruno de Oliveira Souza
Bruno de Oliveira Souza Defender
3
Arbër Potoku
Arbër Potoku Defender
28
Ivica Batarelo
Ivica Batarelo Defender
—
Astrit Thaçi
Astrit Thaçi Defender
2
Geralb Smajli
Geralb Smajli Defender
22
Elvis Letaj
Elvis Letaj Defender
4
Gentrit Halili
Gentrit Halili Defender
34
Merlind Kodra
Merlind Kodra Defender
16
Diar Vokrri
Diar Vokrri Defender
20
Toni Domgjoni
Toni Domgjoni Midfielder
21
Ardit Deliu
Ardit Deliu Midfielder
5
Anel Šabanadžović
Anel Šabanadžović Midfielder
14
Marsel Ismajlgeci
Marsel Ismajlgeci Midfielder
29
Albert Lamane Diene
Albert Lamane Diene Midfielder
37
Arens Mateli
Arens Mateli Midfielder
8
Giovanni Manson Ribeiro
Giovanni Manson Ribeiro Midfielder
19
Engjëll Ajazi
Engjëll Ajazi Midfielder
23
Loris Kolgeci
Loris Kolgeci Midfielder
11
Walid Hamidi
Walid Hamidi Attacker
97
Festim Alidema
Festim Alidema Attacker
—
Sunday Adetunji
Sunday Adetunji Attacker
7
Bleart Tolaj
Bleart Tolaj Attacker
10
Almir Kryeziu
Almir Kryeziu Attacker
9
Valentin Yacabo Serebe
Valentin Yacabo Serebe Attacker

CONCLUSION

KF Ballkani arrive with the marginally stronger profile and will look to impose their structure from the outset. Connah's Quay must use home familiarity to disrupt rhythm and force errors in build-up phases. Limited efficiency and transition data mean both coaches will rely on observed patterns rather than advanced indicators. Set-piece uncertainty adds another layer, as neither side has reliable benchmarks in that area. The first leg often rewards caution, yet the power differential suggests Ballkani may probe for openings while the hosts focus on compact defending. How each team adapts without clear recent form will determine whether the tie remains balanced heading into the return fixture.