Brannvs.St Mirren

The visitors head into the contest on level terms at a goal apiece thanks to a late leveller in their home leg last week.

Match preview

Brann return to continental action on Thursday aiming to punch their ticket to the Europa Conference League playoff round for the second straight season, having fallen at the final hurdle in their bid for group-stage football last time around.

In their first qualifying campaign since the 2019-20 season, the Bergens stolthet progressed past Arouca at this stage last term, only to fall agonisingly short in a penalty shootout against Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar after a 4-4 aggregate draw.

They then earned entry into qualifying for Europe's tertiary competition in the second round with a second-placed finish in the Norwegian Eliteserien last term and began with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Go Ahead Eagles to advance, having won on home turf thanks to goals from Bard Finne and Fredrik Knudsen after playing out a goalless stalemate on their travels.

That set up a tie with St Mirren with a playoff-round place on the line, and Eirik Horneland's side looked set to bring a lead into their home game as Felix Myhre opened the scoring in the 75th minute, only to be pegged back in the dying minutes.

Now returning on home turf on level terms, having not been in Eliteserien action over the weekend and sitting third as things stand, Brann will set out to regain an aggregate lead on Thursday and move within one tie of the league phase this time around.

Their visitors, meanwhile, will aim to make last week's late leveller count and overturn the tie on Thursday in what is their first continental campaign since 1988.

St Mirren sealed their return to the European competition with a fifth-placed finish in the Scottish Premiership last time around, entering in the second round as a result and progressing past Valur Reykjavik, having also drawn 0-0 away from home before Shaun Rooney, Toyosi Olusanya, Mark O'Hara and Alex Iacovitti fired them to a 4-1 win in Paisley.

That set up their third-round tie with Brann, beginning with a home contest last week, and after looking set to fall to a harmful 1-0 defeat before the away leg, Olusanya popped up with a crucial 90th-minute goal to draw Stephen Robinson's side level.

He was again on the scoresheet on their return to Scottish Premiership action at the weekend, equalising away at Aberdeen in the Saints' second league outing of the season, but they were unable to hold on for a result at Pittodrie Stadium, as Jamie McGrath and Vicente Besuijen went on to fire the hosts to a 3-1 win.

Now aiming to put that disappointment behind them and continue their qualifying campaign, St Mirren will go in search of a first competitive away victory in Europe since the 1980-81 UEFA Cup campaign in order to prevail in their third-round tie and advance to the playoff round.

SK Brann Europa Conference League form:

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SK Brann form (all competitions):

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St Mirren Europa Conference League form:

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St Mirren form (all competitions):

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Team News

Brann should deploy a similar starting XI to last week's first leg in Paisley, although Aune Heggebo will fight to come into the attack from the outset having settled for substitute appearances in their recent outings despite leading their scoring charts with nine goals in all competitions so far this term.

Bard Finne should keep his place up top, having managed six of his own this season after hitting 24 goals and 13 assists in 34 domestic appearances last time around, while Ole Didrik Blomberg and Niklas Castro will also hope to continue in a front three.

Felix Myhre, who netted their goal in the away leg, will again play a key role in the engine room, likely alongside Emil Kornvig and Sander Kartum, while Ruben Kristiansen and Fredrik Knudsen are mainstays at the heart of a back four.

After coming off the bench in last week's home leg, Toyosi Olusanya is bound to feature in the St Mirren attack from the outset on Thursday, having moved onto three goals in five appearances for the season by scoring their leveller and getting on the scoresheet in the weekend's defeat to Aberdeen.

Jonah Ayunga and Mikael Mandron will both fight to join him up top after James Scott was preferred on Sunday, while Oisin Smyth will hope to come back in in an advanced midfield role from the start having hit a brace in their Scottish Premiership opener against Hibernian in early August.

Summer arrival Alex Iacovitti earned a first Saints start at the weekend and could again join Alex Gogic and Marcus Fraser in a back three in Norway, while Caolan Boyd-Munce, Dennis Adeniran and Roland Idowu will fight to keep their places in the engine room.

SK Brann possible starting lineup:

Dyngeland; Pedersen, Knudsen, Kristiansen, Soltvedt; Kartum, Kornvig, Myhre; Heggebo, Finne, Castro

St Mirren possible starting lineup:

Balcombe; Fraser, Gogic, Iacovitti; Rooney, Smyth, Boyd-Munce, Adeniran, Brown; Ayunga, Olusanya

We say: SK Brann 2-0 St Mirren (SK Brann win 3-1 on aggregate)

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