Football Accumulator Tips: Wednesday 9/2 Treble predicts BK Hacken win

Helsinki vs Larne – Helsinki win and over 1.5 goals

The UEFA Champions League first qualifying round will get underway this week, and HJK Helsinki will be looking to get off to a positive start when they welcome Larne to Bolt Arena on Wednesday.

The hosts will begin their quest to reach the main tournament for the first time since the 1998/99 season, while the visitors will be making their maiden qualifier appearance here and will be hoping to earn their first-ever Champions League berth at the first time of asking.

Last season HJK Helsinki successfully defended their Veikkausliiga title for the third time in a row, and for the second successive season, they edged out KuPS to the crown by a solitary point.

Helsinki is currently in third place in the league with 28 points after 16 matches, and while they are only three points behind SJK at the top, they have played two more games than the current leaders but Helsinki have the second-best home record in the Veikkausliiga.

Larne recorded 83 points in their 38 league matches, ending six points clear of Linfield in second place and four spots up from the fifth-placed finish that they managed the season before.

Despite carrying poor form into this match, HJK Helsinki's experience at this level could be telling in this first leg. The visitors will relish this opportunity, and while securing a win may be too much of an ask in Finland, we fancy that they will give an excellent account of themselves and will get on the scoresheet.

BK Hacken vs TNS – BK Hacken to win to nil

Hacken and The New Saints (TNS) are set to embark on their Champions League qualification campaigns when they meet at Bravida Stadium in the first round on Wednesday evening.

The hosts have never reached the qualifying rounds of the competition before, while the visitors have never been past the third round.

Hacken won the Allsvenskan for the first time in 2022, granting them qualification to the first round of Champions League qualifying, but they do have some prior experience in Europe, having reached the Europa League qualifiers on seven occasions.

The Swedish side won the 2022 Allsvenskan after collecting 64 points in 30 games, finishing seven points above second-placed Djurgardens IF, and they are faring well in their ongoing league season.

The New Saints are more experienced in the competition, having reached the qualifying stages on 15 prior occasions, but the last time they progressed beyond the second qualifying round was ahead of the 2010-11 season, before they were comfortably dispatched of by Anderlecht.

The New Saints may well dominate their domestic league, but it is a much-lower standard than the Allsvenskan, so the hosts should run out comfortable winners.

In truth, the Swedish side's main aim will probably be to chalk up a lead big enough to ensure they can rest players in the second leg next week.

Farual Constanta vs FC Sheriff – Farul Constanta

SSC Farul will be aiming to secure a lead from the first leg of their Champions League first-round qualifying tie against Sheriff Tiraspol on Wednesday.

The match will be played at Stadionul Viitorul, pitting Romania's champions against Moldova's title winners.

Indeed, Farul have reached the qualifying rounds of the Champions League for only the second time in their history, having lifted the Romanian Liga 1 title for the first time last season.

Managed by the legendary ex-footballer Gheorghe Hagi, who played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona during his glittering playing career, Farul sealed their maiden title in some style by coming from two goals down to beat the country's historically most successful club Steaua Bucuresti 3-2.

Sheriff, on the other hand, have competed in the Champions League group stage on one occasion, having famously beaten Real Madrid two years ago.

That result at Sheriff Stadium sent shockwaves across the continent, with Zholto-Chornyye subsequently demonstrating that it was no fluke by taking four points from two games against Shakhtar Donetsk to finish above the Ukrainians and drop into the Europa League knockout stages.

Sheriff will be favourites to progress from this tie given that they have regularly competed in European competitions in recent seasons, but Farul should not be underestimated having made great strides under Hagi's tutelage in recent years and we fancy Hagi’s men to grab the win here.