Thursday Football Tips: Go low on goals at Glentoran

Glentoran v The New Saints
Thursday 8 July 18:45 BST kick-off

After the two huge Euro 2020 semi-finals we're coming back down to earth with something of a bump, although we're staying with European competition for Thursday's best bet with a game from the Europa Conference League qualifiers.

It's an all-UK dust-up taking place in Belfast with Glentoran hosting Welsh side The New Saints in the first leg of their qualification tie.

The bookies can hardly split them, with the hosts only just about favourites by the narrowest of margins at 2.4529/20 while TNS are priced up at 2.47/5.

Both sides have played a couple of friendlies since the end of last season, with Glentoran winning both games to nil while TNS lost one and drew one in games that saw both teams score.

And the goals, or lack of, at both ends is where we're heading here as there's plenty of form in the book to suggest that we could struggle to see the net bulge for both sides.

For starters, it's the first leg and first competitive outing for these teams in a couple of months, so it's bound to have a low-key almost pre-season-like atmosphere and pace.

Only once in the last nine games Glentoran have played in has both teams found the net, while for TNS they've got an even stronger book of form in this market.

The New Saints have seen just one of their last 10 competitive games contain goals at both ends, so the force is very much strong with this one.

The draw priced at 3.412/5 is enticing given all the above scenarios, but in a game this tight then a winner either way wouldn't be any huge surprise.

Goals from both sides, though, doesn't seem too likely and with both teams not to score priced at 2.47/5 then we're getting a decent return for an outcome with plenty of statistical weight behind it.