Lillestrøm Host Plzeň With Both Sides Desperate to Halt a Worrying Pattern

Lillestrøm vs Viktoria Plzeň. UEFA Europa League. Thursday 5 November 2026, 17:45 UK time. Two clubs who, on the evidence in front of us, have done just enough to convince nobody.

The State of Lillestrøm

Listen, Lillestrøm are not a side you can dismiss. They have competed in this competition and they know how to grind out a result. But one win from three in the Europa League is not good enough. End of.

Their three completed matches in this competition tell the story plainly. Lillestrøm drew 0-0 with Egnatia Rrogozhinë, beat Egnatia Rrogozhinë 2-1, then lost 1-2 to Torreense. Three goals scored. Three conceded. They have kept one clean sheet in those three games, which is something, but only just.

The thing is, the basics of defending have to be non-negotiable at this level. You concede two to Torreense at home and you have to look at yourselves. No excuses. That result is the one that should be burning inside that dressing room right now.

The State of Viktoria Plzeň

Plzeň arrive with a form string that reads LWL. If that does not tell you something about their consistency and attitude, I do not know what will.

The numbers are damning. In three Europa League matches, Plzeň have scored five goals and conceded seven. They have not kept a single clean sheet. Their only win came against Crvena Zvezda, a 5-1 result that looks spectacular until you see that they lost both legs of that tie, if you include the 0-3 defeat to Crvena Zvezda in the previous match. They then went and lost 0-3 to Union Saint-Gilloise.

Zero clean sheets in three matches. Seven goals against. That is not a defensive shape. That is a defensive disaster. Standards have slipped, and someone in that squad needs to take accountability before it gets worse.

What Decides This Match

The thing is, both of these sides have shown they can score. Both have also shown they can ship goals with alarming regularity. Both-teams-to-score has landed in two of Lillestrøm's last three Europa League matches. Plzeň have conceded in all three of theirs.

Lillestrøm will have the crowd. They will have the energy of a home tie under the lights on a November evening. That matters. Desire and compete are not small factors. You can see them with your eyes, and I trust my eyes.

Plzeň's problem is simple. They do not look like a side with a settled defensive unit. When you concede three to Union Saint-Gilloise and three to Crvena Zvezda, the question is not about tactics. The question is about accountability. Are the players holding each other to a proper standard. Because right now, the evidence says no.

The Verdict

Lillestrøm at home, with Plzeň's defensive record being what it is. I am taking Lillestrøm to win this one. The home side have shown more defensive solidity, they have a clean sheet in these three matches, and they are facing a Plzeň side that has conceded in every Europa League outing so far.

It will not be pretty. It rarely is at this stage of the competition. But I back Lillestrøm to have enough desire and enough basics to get the result. Back them, one selection, no messing about with accumulators.