Vllaznia Shkodër host KF Malisheva at Loro Boriçi Stadium on 9 July 2026 in the first leg of a UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round tie. Neither club has faced the other before, so there is no history to lean on, just current form and what each side brings tactically over two legs. The return fixture is in Kosovo on 16 July and whoever advances faces a second round opponent with more resources and more difficulty attached.
Vllaznia are the home side in leg one, which is the main basis for any advantage attributed to them here, though the gap between the two clubs is genuinely narrow. Malisheva finished second in the Kosovo Superliga with 59 points from 36 games and averaged around 1.17 road goals per game last season, a real output rather than the product of one good run.
Edi Martini has been in charge of Vllaznia since mid 2025, working with assistants Ergi Borshi and Ideal Lekiqi, whereas Malisheva's bench is murkier, with reports pointing to either Thomas Brdaric or Bylbyl Sokoli. Since this is a first ever meeting between the clubs, there is no managerial head to head to reference.
Vllaznia wrapped up their Kategoria Superiore season in mid to upper table with around 63 points from 36 matches, though their home scoring fell off towards the end of the campaign, making leg one an uncertain platform for building a lead. Malisheva, by contrast, kept scoring consistently on the road throughout their domestic season and that 1.17 away goals average is worth keeping in mind when reading how this tie might unfold.
Both sides appear fit and available with no significant injury or suspension concerns reported. Vllaznia look set to line up with Léon Pöhls in goal behind a back line of Erdenis Gurishta, Gledjan Pusi and Melos Bajrami, with Arbnor Krymi, Sherif Kallaku, K Qato and Edon Murataj in midfield and Bekim Balaj leading the attack alongside E Mala. Malisheva are likely to sit in and look for the counter, with a squad averaging around 27 to 28 years old, though lineups won't be confirmed until closer to kick off.
Vllaznia like to control possession and the central battle of the first leg will probably be Balaj against Malisheva's defensive organisation. If Malisheva can keep him quiet they will fancy their chances of arriving in Kosovo with the tie still open, while Krymi and Kallaku will need to control the tempo if Vllaznia are to get on top and extract value from playing at home.
Vllaznia 2-1 Malisheva, with Balaj as the likeliest scorer if Vllaznia generate the chances their possession game should produce. The two factors pointing most clearly to a home win in leg one are Balaj's form and Malisheva's inclination to sit deep and counter, though Malisheva's road record suggests they won't simply absorb pressure and a late away goal could genuinely keep the return leg in Kosovo alive.
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?.
