Saburtalo host Jagiellonia with a mountain to climb after last week's 4-0 defeat in the first leg. The Georgians have scored only twice in three qualifiers and must attack from the outset, which plays into the hands of a Jagiellonia side that has netted seven times in three Europ…
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Sign inSaburtalo host Jagiellonia Bialystok in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League play-off round on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at their Mikheil Meskhis sakhelobis Stadioni home in Tbilisi. The tie remains finely poised after last week's first leg at the Stadion Miejski in Bialystok.
Jagiellonia are expected to field a similar starting XI to the one that drew at Rangers in their previous European away trip. Goalkeeper Abramowicz will be shielded by defenders Vital and Kobayashi, with Wojtuszek and Montoia operating as full-backs. Jesus Imaz, Taras Romanczuk and Anders Klynge are set to continue in midfield, while striker Prelec – who scored at Ibrox – should lead the line again, supported by wingers Conceicao and Szmyt.
For Saburtalo, head coach Giorgi Chiabrishvili is likely to deploy a front three of Sikharulashvili, Natchkebia and Bedoshvili. The midfield trio of Dadian, Kutsia and Kardava will be tasked both with supplying the attack and protecting centre-backs Kobuladze and Amisulashvili. Makaridze remains the first-choice goalkeeper, with Selimovic and Jinjolava completing the back four. No new injury concerns have been reported for either side.
The Polish visitors arrive in Tbilisi with a mixed recent record. Their last five outings across all competitions read drawn, drawn, loss, win, win – including a 1-1 stalemate at Rangers in Champions League qualifying and a surprise 2-0 defeat to Widzew Lodz. In the Europa League, Jagiellonia have found the net consistently, with both teams scoring in each of their last four European matches.
Saburtalo’s own five-match sequence stands at win, draw, draw, loss, draw – a run that underlines their resilience but also a lack of cutting edge. A goalless draw in their most recent domestic fixture and a narrow Europa League win earlier in qualifying suggest they are well-drilled defensively. Playing at home in the Mikheil Meskhis sakhelobis Stadioni, they will need to be more adventurous to overturn the tie.
Jagiellonia’s creativity flows largely through Jesus Imaz, who has registered six assists this season and dictates tempo from central areas. Saburtalo’s midfield unit of Dadian, Kutsia and Kardava will have to disrupt that supply line while also launching quick transitions for the front three. If the hosts can isolate Imaz and win the second balls, they stand a chance of controlling the leg.
A place in the Europa League group stage awaits the aggregate winner, while the loser will drop into the Conference League – guaranteeing 90 minutes of high-stakes action in the Georgian capital.
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