Saburtalo Tbilisi vs Jagiellonia – News and Probable Lineups

Jagiellonia Bialystok will aim to secure their advancement in the second leg of their Europa League qualifying matchup against Saburtalo Tbilisi on Thursday at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium.

With a commanding 4-0 lead from the first leg last week, most would suggest that Saburtalo’s chances of moving forward in the final qualifying round are slim, yet European football often has its unexpected twists.

Match overview

In terms of shots, Saburtalo kept pace, firing 13 attempts compared to Jagiellonia Bialystok’s 15, but they seldom posed a serious threat to the opposing goal.

The hosts are yet to score four times in any of their European fixtures and have only managed to find the net three times in their previous five continental matches.

If he focuses on the domestic league, it would be understandable for boss Andriy Demchenko considering that his side is currently placed third with 34 points, only securing a Conference League spot on goal difference.

The Red Eagles have achieved just one victory in their last six European encounters at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, suffering three defeats while scoring seven times and conceding 11 goals.

Saburtalo can take solace in knowing that failing to progress in the final qualifying round wouldn’t conclude their European journey this season, as they would automatically enter the Conference League group stage.

Jagiellonia Bialystok’s recent success against their opponents ended a two-match winless run, marking the first occasion since February 26 that they scored at least four goals.

The visitors enter the second leg with five wins from their seven matches this season, with their sole defeat of the 2026-27 campaign coming against Widzew Lodz on August 9. This 2-0 loss was sandwiched between two Europa League fixtures against Rangers.

Jaga has remained unbeaten in their last eight away games in Europe, drawing four and winning three, and they have only conceded more than one goal on one occasion.

Head coach Adrian Siemieniec’s team has also never faced a defeat by four or more goals in UEFA competitions, and the last instance they allowed four goals was in an away match against Ajax during the 2024-25 season.

Throughout their past 17 continental matches, Jagiellonia Bialystok has scored two or more goals in seven of those encounters, with three of those instances occurring in their last five UEFA outings.

Team News

Saburtalo must adopt an assertive approach right from the kickoff if they wish to progress, meaning players like Amiran Dzagania, Nika Sikharulashvili, and Zviad Natchkebia must perform at their peak.

However, the hosts also need to maintain defensive caution, especially since central defenders Vahid Selimovic and Aleksandre Amisulashvili are likely to encounter numerous counterattacks.

There is little reason to believe that Jagiellonia Bialystok will field a different lineup from that which convincingly won the first leg, so expect to see Jeremy Agbonifo, Nik Prelec, and Kajetan Szmyt feature as the forward trio.

In central midfield, Taras Romanczuk is likely to play a key role, probably appearing alongside number eights Jesus Imaz and Anders Klynge.

Defensively, centre-backs Yuki Kobayashi and Bernardo Vital will almost certainly lead the visitors’ charge for a clean sheet.

Saburtalo Tbilisi probable starting XI:

Makaridze; Jinjolava, Selimovic, Amisulashvili, Kobuladze; Dadian, Alhassan, Kardava; Dzagania, Sikharulashvili, Natchkebia

Jagiellonia Bialystok probable starting XI:

Abramovich; Wojtuszek, Vital, Kobayashi, Montoya; Imaz, Romanczuk, Klynge; Agbonifo, Prelec, Szmyt

Jagiellonia Bialystok are widely considered strong contenders to move on, and they should be able to approach the match without trepidation on Thursday.

In pursuit of goals, Saburtalo may leave openings in their defence, which could leave them vulnerable during counterattacks, making another defeat a likely outcome.