Trabzonspor  

The “Bordeaux-blues” had a very good season last year and finished in third place. It should be noted that Trabzonspor trailed the top two teams by a significant 32 points, but the important thing is that the “Black Sea Storms” won the battle for a Europa League spot over all other teams in the Super Lig. Trabzonspor also reached the final of the Turkish Cup, where they lost 2:3 to Beşiktaş.

The new Turkish season has yet to start, and the team has been preparing for their European campaign with friendly matches. The “Bordeaux-blues” have won against Szeged 2:1 and Željezničar Pančevo 3:1. Overall, including the first leg against Ružomberok, Abdullah Avcı’s team has won four of their last matches and seven of their last eight.

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Ruzomberok

Ruzomberok won the Slovak Cup last season, securing victory over Spartak Trnava in the final. This win allowed Ružomberok to return to European competitions after a season’s absence. The team prepared for their European campaign through a series of friendly matches.

In six friendlies, Ruzomberok managed only one win against Humenne, with four draws against Egnatia, Domžale, Rapid Bucharest, and Zrinjski, and one loss to Tatran. In the previous qualifying round, Ruzomberok easily overcame Tobol from Kazakhstan with a 5:2 home win and a narrow away loss.

However, the team has struggled against Turkish opponents and is now a clear underdog in this tie. Over the weekend, Ružomberok drew 1:1 with Banská Bystrica in the first round of the new season.

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