As major European leagues begin to resume activities with early training camps and friendly matches, many clubs are using the summer months to chase their dreams of playing in next season’s European competitions. Among the teams aiming to secure a place in the upcoming UEFA Conference League are Auda and Larne, who are set to battle it out after a goalless draw in the first leg. The two sides meet on Wednesday, July 16 at the Skonto Stadium in Riga, with one goal in mind: winning to advance to the next round. According to the rules, if the match ends in a draw after the regular 90 minutes, extra time will be played, and if needed, the tie will be decided by a penalty shootout. The first leg showcased the balance between these two teams, with neither managing to gain a clear advantage. Larne showed slightly more initiative, but failing to secure a home win means they now face a tough challenge in Latvia. Auda, currently third in their domestic league, will look to capitalize on home support to grab the win and offer their fans the dream of reaching a European competition for the first time, after being eliminated in the third qualifying round last year. The Northern Irish side, on the other hand, can lean on their greater international experience, having participated in the Conference League group stage last season, where they picked up three points from six matches. Given the ambitions and the necessity to win on both sides, we can expect a hard-fought match with plenty of intensity.

Auda's Recent Form and Key Stats

The Latvian side comes into this match with confidence, having gone unbeaten in their last three games, with two wins and one draw. Much of this positive streak is thanks to their defense, which hasn’t conceded in those three matches.

Looking more broadly, Kalns’ men have lost only two of their last ten matches across all competitions. In the league, where they currently sit third with 37 points (18 behind leaders Riga FC), they’ve won seven home matches, drawn one, and lost three. Their averages at home are 1.88 goals scored and 0.9 conceded per game.

Larne's Recent Form and Key Stats

Including the four friendlies played between June 17 and July 5, Larne are unbeaten in fifteen matches, with eight wins and seven draws. Moreover, they’ve kept a clean sheet in five of their last six games, scoring a total of 11 goals during that span.

Finishing second in the 2024/25 NIFL Premiership, just behind Linfield, Rooney’s side performed well on the road, with eleven wins, five draws, and four losses. They averaged 1.45 goals scored and 0.9 goals conceded per away match.

Auda vs Larne Prediction and Tactical Overview

According to the BetMines prediction algorithm, Auda are slightly favored to win. The home win (sign 1) has a 52% chance of occurring, while both a draw and an away win are rated at 24%.

BetMines leans towards the home side because Auda are in better form, having won or drawn eight of their last ten matches. Furthermore, playing at home often proves decisive in knockout scenarios where only a win counts.

As for total goals, BetMines gives a slight edge to Under 2.5 goals over Over 2.5 goals, suggesting we might see a different type of game compared to the goalless first leg—especially if one team manages to score early.

• Auda vs Larne Prediction by BetMines: Auda win (sign 1) – 52%
  
  
• Auda vs Larne Prediction by BetMines: Over 2.5 goals – 53%

Probable Lineups Auda vs Larne

AUDA (4-4-2): Ozols; Hrvoj, Melniks, Paulo Eduardo, Erquiaga; Clemente, Nguena, Jakson Kenio, Varslavans; Jeudi, Monteiro. Coach: Kalns

LARNE (4-4-2): Ferguson; Cosgrove, Nolan, Donnelly, Graham; Randall, Bent, Gallagher, McEneff; O'Neill, McKendry. Coach: Rooney