Lillestrøm host Viktoria Plzeň at Åråsen Stadion on Thursday, November 5, in a Europa League fixture between teams ranked 31st and 33rd in the competition. Both arrive after domestic victories, but their European results have been less encouraging. Lillestrøm have yet to win in five Europa League matches, while Viktoria Plzeň have lost four of their five. Goals have been a recurring feature of their recent games, particularly at Lillestrøm’s home ground and in Viktoria Plzeň’s away fixtures. With both sides looking to improve their European records, this match presents an opportunity to turn domestic momentum into a better result in the Europa League.

Lillestrøm’s Recent Form and Key Stats

Lillestrøm responded to a 6-0 home defeat against Real Betis in their last Europa League outing by beating Start 1-0 on November 1. That league victory was their fourth win in five matches across all competitions, a run that also includes one defeat. Across those five games, they have averaged 1.6 goals scored and 1.8 conceded per match. The contrast between those results and their European record is clear: Lillestrøm’s Europa League statistics stand at three draws and two defeats, with no wins, an average of 0.6 goals scored and 2.0 conceded per match.

The home figures give this fixture a particular focus. Lillestrøm have conceded eight goals in their last two home Europa League matches, including the six against Real Betis. Their last five games at Åråsen Stadion have each produced at least three goals. On a broader measure, more than 1.5 total goals have been scored in each of their last 19 home matches, and 27 of their last 29 matches overall have also passed that mark. These are totals for the matches, not goals scored by Lillestrøm alone.

Timing has been another notable element of their home results. Lillestrøm have trailed at half-time in each of their last three home Europa League fixtures and in seven of their last ten home matches across competitions. At least one second-half goal has been scored in each of their last 19 home games. For a side still seeking its first Europa League victory, avoiding another difficult opening period would be important, especially after the heavy defeat in its previous European match at this venue.

Viktoria Plzeň’s Recent Form and Key Stats

Viktoria Plzeň also come into the match following a victory, having beaten Baník Ostrava 4-0 on November 1. They have won three and lost two of their last five matches, scoring an average of 3.0 goals and conceding 1.4 per game over that stretch. Their Europa League record is less convincing: one win and four defeats in five matches, with averages of 1.2 goals scored and 2.2 conceded. Their most recent European outing ended in a 2-1 home defeat to Levski Sofia.

The visitors’ recent goal totals are especially consistent. Each of Viktoria Plzeň’s last ten matches has featured more than 2.5 total goals, while at least one goal has been scored after half-time in every game during that sequence. Their last five away matches across all competitions have also finished with more than 2.5 goals. Those trends do not guarantee a similar scoreline on Thursday, but they show how frequently Plzeň’s recent fixtures have moved beyond a narrow result.

The 4-0 win over Baník Ostrava offers Viktoria Plzeň a positive result to build on, yet their European figures show that scoring has not always been enough to secure points. An average of 2.2 goals conceded per Europa League game is higher than their 1.2 scored. Against opponents whose home European matches have also been difficult defensively, the visitors have a chance to improve on their most recent Europa League result, provided they can limit the opportunities at the other end.

Lillestrøm vs Viktoria Plzeň Match Analysis

This Europa League preview is shaped more by the teams’ scoring patterns than by a clear advantage in the result market. Lillestrøm have won four of their last five matches overall but remain without a win in the competition. Viktoria Plzeň have scored freely across their latest five games, yet four defeats in five Europa League matches leave them with their own record to improve. Both teams won on November 1, so neither arrives without a recent positive result.

The clearest overlap lies in matches with several goals. Lillestrøm’s last five at Åråsen Stadion have reached at least three, as have Viktoria Plzeň’s last five away matches. Plzeň’s ten-match run of games with more than 2.5 total goals strengthens that pattern, while the teams’ Europa League averages show that both have conceded more than they have scored. Lillestrøm’s recent home concessions add further weight to the goal-total discussion.

Those numbers still leave room for different routes through the match. Lillestrøm’s 1-0 win over Start shows that their latest result was settled by a single goal, whereas Viktoria Plzeň’s 4-0 victory over Baník Ostrava was much more emphatic. The question on Thursday is which of those recent performances carries over into Europe. On the available evidence, the repeated high totals in Lillestrøm’s home games and Viktoria Plzeň’s away games provide the strongest common thread.

Lillestrøm vs Viktoria Plzeň prediction from BetMines: Over 2.5 goals with 63% probability.