Raków Częstochowa - Valletta FC live - Football

Raków Częstochowa take on Valletta FC on Thursday, 23 July 2026 at 17:30 BST at the Miejski Stadion Piłkarski Raków in Częstochowa - the first ever competitive meeting between the two clubs, in the second qualifying round of the 2026/27 UEFA Conference League. Raków enter this tie having reached the Round of 16 in the 2025/26 Conference League, while Valletta FC, Malta's most decorated club, earned their place in European qualifying as winners of the 2025/26 Maltese FA Trophy.

Match Info: Raków Częstochowa vs Valletta FC

The clash between Raków Częstochowa and Valletta FC takes place on Thursday, 23 July 2026 at 17:30 BST (16:30 UTC) at the Miejski Stadion Piłkarski Raków in Częstochowa, Poland, in the second qualifying round of the 2026/27 UEFA Conference League.

Where to Watch Raków Częstochowa vs Valletta FC?

Polish viewers can watch the match live online via Kanał Sportowy, the free-to-air streaming platform that broadcasts key European fixtures for Polish clubs without a subscription fee.

For fans outside Poland, broadcast availability depends on regional rights packages. Supporters are advised to check their local sports broadcasters for possible coverage of this UEFA Conference League qualifying round.

No television broadcast has been confirmed for this match at the time of publication. Online streaming via Kanał Sportowy remains the only confirmed option for following this fixture live.

Match between Raków Częstochowa and Valletta FC - Preview

Raków Częstochowa enter this tie as heavy favourites: a club with growing European pedigree and a Round-of-16 Conference League finish last season faces a Maltese FA Trophy winner whose best European result in recent years was the third qualifying round of the Europa League in 2019.

The stakes are clear - the winner of this two-legged tie advances to the third qualifying round of the 2026/27 UEFA Conference League, one step closer to the league phase. For Raków, under new manager Dawid Kroczek since May 2026, this first leg at home is an opportunity to build a decisive advantage before travelling to Malta for the return fixture. The club has been a regular European participant since their maiden Conference League campaign in 2021/22.

Valletta FC are one of Malta's most storied clubs - 25 Maltese league titles, 14 FA Trophies, and 13 Super Cups - and they have faced some of European football's greatest names over the decades, including Juventus, Internazionale and Glasgow Rangers. The Lilywhites arrive in Poland with nothing to lose and will look to keep this tie alive for the return leg on home soil.

Head-to-Head: Raków Częstochowa vs Valletta FC

Thursday's meeting in Częstochowa is the first ever official encounter between Raków Częstochowa and Valletta FC - no previous competitive fixture between these two clubs exists in the record books, making this a genuinely historic occasion for both sides.

With no prior meetings to draw on, neither squad has any direct experience of facing the other. The complete head-to-head record between Raków Częstochowa and Valletta FC stands as follows:

• No previous meetings - 23 July 2026 marks the opening chapter of this rivalry.

Raków Częstochowa - Recent Form

Raków Częstochowa arrive at this European qualifier with a recent record of 3 wins and 2 defeats from their last 5 matches, netting 11 goals in total across those fixtures.

Their most recent competitive outing - a 3-0 win over Arka Gdynia in the Ekstraklasa in May 2026 - underlined their domestic quality. The summer pre-season that followed showed a more mixed picture: two clean-sheet home wins, 2-0 over Piast Gliwice and 2-0 over Puszcza Niepołomice, were balanced against two away defeats, 3-4 to Zulte Waregem and 1-2 to Olympiakos Piraeus.

The two home victories without conceding a goal point to a solid defensive base at their own ground. Last season, the club reached the Round of 16 of the Conference League - experience that should help Dawid Kroczek's side handle the pressure of a European two-legged tie from the very start of the campaign.

Valletta FC - Recent Form

Valletta FC head to Poland with a recent record of 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats across their last 5 matches, with the 2-1 FA Trophy final victory over Gżira United on 23 May 2026 standing out as the defining result of their season.

That cup final triumph secured their European berth and sent the club into the summer on a high. In the Maltese Premier League, however, the late-season form was uneven: a 2-1 home win over Ħamrun Spartans on 2 May was followed by a 0-0 draw with Floriana and then a 0-2 home defeat to the same Ħamrun Spartans on 15 May.

Away from home, Valletta also struggled - a 1-0 defeat at Marsaxlokk on 26 April highlighted difficulties as a visiting side. Facing Raków in Poland will be the most demanding European away assignment for Valletta FC in many years, though the cup triumph shows they can deliver when it matters most.

Facts and Statistics

Raków Częstochowa and Valletta FC meet for the first time in their respective histories, bringing together a club that has become a fixture in European competition over the past five seasons and one of Malta's oldest and most decorated institutions, founded in 1943.

• Raków Częstochowa reached the Round of 16 of the UEFA Conference League in 2025/26 - the best European result in the Polish club's history.
• Valletta FC won the 2025/26 Maltese FA Trophy by defeating Gżira United 2-1 in the final, qualifying them for the 2026/27 UEFA Conference League qualifying rounds.
• Valletta have won 25 Maltese Premier League titles and 14 FA Trophies, making them one of the most successful clubs in Maltese football history.
• Raków's deepest European campaign came in 2025/26, when the club faced Fiorentina in the Conference League Round of 16.
• Valletta's best ever European result was reaching the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League in 2019 - a mark this two-legged tie gives them the chance to surpass.