Europa Conference League Preview: Vitesse Arnhem -v- Dundalk

Dundalk huddle before their Conference League victory over Newtown.

Dundalk huddle before their Conference League victory over Newtown. Credit: Dolf Hartog (ETPhotos)

VITESSE ARNHEM

Vitesse Arnhem host Dundalk in the first-leg of their Europa Conference League tie on Thursday evening (kick-off is at 6pm Irish time).

This will be the first time Vitesse will play a home game in front of fans since the Covid-19 pandemic.

And their manager Thomas Letsch is hoping that his side can use their pre-season preparations to full effect when they take on Dundalk in their first competitive game of the season.

“Preparing for a European duel is a great feeling. Not just with me, but with the whole group”, Vitesse manager Thomas Letsch said ahead of the visit of Dundalk

“We have worked hard for a year for this opportunity. It's really going to start now," said the trainer, whose good feeling is reinforced by the well-deserved practice win against VfL Bochum. 

“The group is absolutely ready. It was a preparation with fluctuating results and many changes, but we showed in the last game that we got to the right level in time.”

Vitesse captain Danilo Doekhi added: “Everyone has put in a lot of minutes in preparation and built up enough fitness. 

“I can say on behalf of the whole team that we are really looking forward to the game."

DUNDALK



Dundalk will be hoping that they can build on last week’s pivotal European win away to Levadia Tallinn in the Netherlands on Thursday night as they look to strike a blow to Vitesse in the Europa Conference League.

Will Patching’s goal saw the Lilywhites through last week, and their boss Vinny Perth is expecting a stiff test against Vitesse, however.

“First of all the advantage, and we have seen this with the Bohs game, that they are in pre-season. They are a really strong, high press team and they play with huge energy.

“In Europe sometimes you get to keep the ball for long periods of the game even against top opposition, I think this will be slightly different.

“They press so highly from the front 99% of times, they play with a back 3, a 3-4-1-2 and different variants of that.

“They will put us under a lot of pressure when we have the ball so it’s about us being clever and counter attacking.



“We have seen a lot of strengths of theirs over the last week. It’s up to us to find out their weaknesses and expose them if we can.”

Referee: Anastasios Papapetrou (Greece).

 

BETTING

Vitesse Arnhem 1/7; Draw 4/1; Dundalk 10/1.

PREDICTION

Vitesse Arnhem 3 - 1 Dundalk

 

Vitesse Arnhem

Injured: N/A.

Doubtful: N/A.

Suspended: None.

 

Dundalk

Injured: Brian Gartland, Daniel Cleary.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.