AF Elbasani host FC BATE Borisov at Elbasan Arena on 7 July 2026 in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League first qualifying round tie, with the winner advancing to the second round. Elbasani finished second in the Albanian Kategoria Superiore whereas BATE sit a lowly 15th in the Belarusian Vysshaya Liga, though BATE's history in European competition makes this harder to call than the standings alone imply.
Ivan Gvozdenović has been in charge of AF Elbasani since December 2024 on a contract running to June 2027, having previously managed KF Skënderbeu, while Vitaliy Rogozhkin took over BATE in January 2026 on a deal through the end of the year and the two have never faced each other competitively.
Elbasani head into this one having beaten Vllaznia Shkodër and Dinamo City but losing to both Dečić and Egnatia, two wins from their last five. BATE have had a rougher run, losing to Gomel, Torpedo BelAZ and Arsenal and managing only one win and one draw from five.
Public information on injuries and suspensions is thin, with no major absences confirmed on either side. Elbasani are likely to line up in a 3 4 3 with Janacek in goal, a back three of Lila, Musta and Azemovic, a midfield four of Manellari, Laitya, Kasa and Ibrahim and Diallo, Lukili and Tsage up front, though BATE's lineup is harder to call.
The 3 4 3 suggests Elbasani are willing to concede territory and spring Diallo, Lukili and Tsage in behind, with Kasa and Ibrahim screening the back three and looking to play quickly into the front line. Elbasani lean on set pieces at home too, where their organised back three gives them bodies in the box from corners. BATE's poor domestic form points to a cautious approach on the road and they are unlikely to commit men forward without good reason. These clubs have never met before, so neither side has any historical data to fall back on.
Elbasani scored in only two of their last five and BATE managed one win in that same stretch, which makes goals feel unlikely from either end. Elbasani have the home advantage and the stronger domestic record but two wins from five suggests they will not go chasing this one and BATE have little incentive to open up away from home. A 0 0 looks the most probable way this ends.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
