Omonia vs Rijeka prediction and betting tips February 19, 2026

By Klimentijs Konevs | Published: 18 February, 2026

Omonia Nicosia host Rijeka at the GSP Stadium in Strovolos on 19 February. This will be the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off tie. The Cypriot side come into this match in outstanding form. They sit at the top of their domestic league and are playing with real confidence, especially at home.

Rijeka are third in Croatia and still pushing for another Conference League qualification spot, but the gap is tight, and their performances haven't been steady. This sets up a great first leg between two ambitious sides. Read full preview for team form, key news and our betting picks for the game.

This season, Omonia have climbed to the top of the Cyprus League and look far more confident than in previous years. They currently hold an eight-point lead over second place. Aside from a recent Cyprus Cup setback against AEL Limassol, Omonia have been flawless in the league with eight consecutive victories.

The team began the Conference League main round with a defeat to Mainz. Still, they quickly steadied themselves with a couple of draws before earning impressive wins over Dynamo Kyiv and Rapid Vienna. Even a final home loss to Rakow was not enough to deny them a place in the play-offs.

Omonia boast an average of 2.80 goals per game across their last five outings. They have also been strong at the GSP Stadium, avoiding defeat in nine of their previous eleven home matches. Defensively, though, there is room for improvement. They concede around 1.40 goals per game.

In terms of team news, Stevan Jovetic remains out with a knee injury, Mihlali Mayambella is sidelined due to an ankle issue, and defender Fotis Kitsos is also unavailable with a knee problem.

Rijeka arrive in Cyprus as the reigning Croatian champions. They have ended Dinamo Zagreb's long-standing dominance by lifting the title for the second time in their history last season. This year, however, the picture looks different. They currently sit third in the table, with little realistic chance of climbing higher, and there is even pressure from teams below.

Víctor Sanchez's side began their European campaign in Champions League qualifying but were eliminated by Ludogorets. They dropped into the Europa League, where they overcame Shelbourne and beat PAOK 1-0 in the first leg. However, they suffered a heavy 0-5 defeat in the return match.

In the Conference League, though, their path was steadier. After an opening loss to Noah, Rijeka responded with two home wins and three draws, which proved enough to secure a play-off place. Recent form has been relatively solid, with the team avoiding defeat in 12 of their last 14 matches. They average around 1.40 goals per game while conceding approximately 1.00.

The squad have few absentees for this match. The defender Noel Bodetic is sidelined with a broken wrist, while centre-back Mile Skoric is unavailable due to a knee injury.

• These sides have met only once before in the Europa League, back in 2006. After a draw in Croatia, Omonia won the return leg at home and progressed to the next round.
• Omonia are unbeaten in 9 of their last 11 home matches in all competitions and have scored in each of their previous 10 games.
• Both teams found the net five times during the league phase. Omonia conceded four goals across those matches, while Rijeka allowed just two.

Rijeka stand out as the only team outside the top eight in the UECL league-phase standings to have conceded just two goals across six matches. Notably, five of those fixtures finished with under 2.5 goals. Omonia, meanwhile, have also shown resilience at the back in this competition. Across their six league-phase matches, they conceded only four times, and every one of those games produced no more than two total goals. That is why we predict this match to have a total of under 2.5 goals at 1.80.

Another angle worth considering is under 9 total corners at 2.10, given both teams' relatively modest average corner numbers.

For a higher-risk option, Omonia to win to nil at 3.40 appeals, given their strong home form and both teams' defensive mindset.

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