Omonia vs Rijeka – News and Probable Lineups

In pursuit of a position in the Conference League’s round of 16, Omonia will host HNK Rijeka at Neo GSP on Thursday.

The Queen aim for a third consecutive win midweek, while RJK are simply looking for their second victory in five matches.

Match overview

Henning Berg’s Omonia has had a varied performance in the Conference League thus far, commencing their group-stage campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Mainz 05 and concluding with another 1-0 loss to Rakow, but they managed to sandwich a four-game unbeaten streak in between.

That unbeaten stretch included two wins and two draws, sufficient for the Queen to progress to the playoffs by finishing 18th in the standings, just one point above Lincoln Red Imps, who did not qualify.

Despite their underwhelming European campaign so far, the Cypriot First Division side heads into Thursday’s fixture filled with confidence, having secured nine victories in their last 10 games across all competitions, with their latest success being a 3-0 win over Paralimni on Saturday.

What will further lift the spirits of home fans is the fact that the hosts have kept four clean sheets in their last six home encounters, including an impressive 2-0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv in front of their supporters on November 27.

However, both of the Queen’s defeats in the group stage took place on their own ground, leading fans to justifiably harbor doubts regarding their team’s prospects this time around.

On the other side, Victor Sanchez’s Rijeka has had a somewhat more favorable run in the Conference League, initially losing to Noah 1-0 but subsequently achieving two wins and three draws in their remaining matches to reach this juncture.

Finishing the group stage on a five-game unbeaten run should instill some confidence in the visitors ahead of the first leg; however, they concluded their campaign in 16th place, just one point ahead of Omonia in the standings.

While Omonia finds some respite from continental engagements through domestic challenges, Sanchez’s squad has also faced difficulties in Croácia’s HNL this season.

RJK arrives for Thursday’s matchup having secured only two victories from their five league encounters in 2026 – drawing two and losing one – with their 3-1 victory over Varazdin being their first in four matches.

Adding to their woes, the visitors have yet to win away in the Conference League, having drawn 0-0 with Shakhtar Donetsk and 1-1 with Lincoln.

Team News

Omonia will be without midfielder Mateo Maric for the first leg due to a yellow card received against Rakow, serving a suspension. However, Carel Eiting and Panagiotis Andreou are expected to step in at the heart of midfield.

The hosts are additionally missing left-back Fotios Kitsos as he continues recovery from a long-term knee injury, while right-back Giannis Masouras might also be sidelined, leading Berg to potentially select Alpha Dionkou and new acquisition Jure Balkovec to flank centre-backs Senou Coulibaly and Nikolas Panayiotou.

Furthermore, former Manchester City forward Stevan Jovetic is out with his own knee injury, meaning centre-forwards Muamer Tankovic and Ryan Mmaee are likely to be supported by wide players Anastasios Chatzigiovannis and Willy Semedo, with Mihlali Mayambela unavailable due to an ankle concern.

Regarding Rijeka, they are somewhat undermanned defensively without centre-back Mile Skoric, who has been out with a knee injury since August, and left-back Noel Bodetic, who is contending with a broken wrist.

In their absence, expect a back three of Teo Barisic, Ante Majstorovic, and Stjepan Radeljic on Thursday, supported by Ante Oric and Justas Lasickas as wing-backs.

In attack, versatile midfielder Samuele Vignato has been sidelined since February 1 with an injury; if he is not fit to return by midweek, Toni Fruk seems poised to assist Ante Matej Juric and Daniel Adu-Adjei in the offensive lineup.

Omonia probable starting XI:

Fabiano? Dionkou, Coulibaly, Panagiotou, Balkovec? Chatzigiovanis, Eiting, Andreou, Semedo; Tankovic, Mmaee

HNK Rijeka probable starting XI:

Breakers; Barisic, Majstorovic, Radeljic; Orec, Petrovic, Dantas, Lasickas; Fruk; Juric, Adu-Adjei

Although Omonia’s form in the group stage has been inconsistent, their recent domestic performance is likely to instill hope in fans ahead of Thursday’s encounter.

Conversely, Rijeka has encountered struggles in Croácia and has performed poorly on the road in Europe, making a victory for the hosts quite plausible.