Champions League returns with the first matches and it will be interesting to see the European Football in action. It is the time to hear the anthem again, and the teams are ready for the new season. UEFA Champions League returns with ten challenges.
FC Urartu Yerevan vs HSK Zrinjski Mostar
Urartu plays in Yerevan with Zrinjski Mostar and the HomeSide seeks to qualify for the second round in their second appearance. Zrinjski in the other hand has the objective the second round after seven appearances in the first round.
Urartu seems to have a little bit of advantage since they have closed the Championship a month ago. Zrinjski have also a good tier in the last friendlies and this is going to be a balanced match.
Lincoln Red Imps vs FK Qarabag
Lincoln Red Imps plays in their own grass with Qarabag FK in Victoria Stadium. The visitors from Azerbaijan want to secure the qualification in the first leg. Lincoln Red Imps has won the title in the previous 27 years, but this is not a sign of guarantee that it is going to be easy in the Champions League.
Qarabag have played previously in the group stage and the manager Qurban Qurbanov said few days ago that he has a prepared squad to face the next games.
Lincoln’s goalkeeper Nauzet Garcia Santana has spoken for the Lincoln Red Imps site. He said that he expects a tough game.
“We know that it has been a tough draw, Qarabag has competed very well in Europe in recent years but in football anything can happen; We will try to make them feel as uncomfortable from the first minute. We are ready and looking forward to Tuesday.”
Vilnius FK Zalgiris vs FC Struga
Zalgiris Vilnius plays Struga in Vilnius, Lithuania and this seems to be a balanced match. The team from Struga, currently champions in North Macedonia asks the first qualification in the second round. Zalgiris asks a similar season with the last one, passing three UEFA Champions League rounds and going in the UEFA Conference League group stage.
Olimpija Ljubljana vs Valmiera FC
Olimpia Ljubjana will play Valmeira in the first round and will seek qualification after the 2016-17 campaign in the UEFA Champions League. Stozice Stadium will be a test for Valmeira also. The coach Jurgis Kalns said that this match will be a real test for his team.
“The opponent is a very tactically smart team in attack, which likes to play combinational football. They rotate a lot, change positions, and love to play with the ball, but their game is not very fast. The Olimpija team is trying to dominate the game, and press high, as the favorite of the match, they hope to play their game and show their football. They have very big ambitions.
“Our main task in the first game is to silence them. The conditions are fantastic here, and the grass is great. It’s a bit muggy, 35 degrees, you can feel it, I think you have to be able to adapt to it because it would be a sin not to play football on such a great pitch.”
“From my players, I want to see discipline so that the game plan is executed and our tactics work. If we give our best from the first minutes, then there will probably be a chance to surprise the fans. We have a plan for how they can start playing, and we also have our own plan with what to counter, it’s risky but hopefully, it will work out at least in the early game. Discipline, self-sacrifice, and winning duels will be what can tip the scales in our favor.”
RKS Rakow Czestochowa vs Flora Tallinn
RKS Rakow Czestochowa vs Flora Tallinn is the first match of the evening with the Polish Side that is the favorite to pass the round. Dawid Swarga debuts in as the head coach of Rakow Czestochowa. He said before the game that his team need to put a lot of effort to win.
In the other hand Flora’s Coach Jurgen Henn said:
“This is a very difficult challenge for us. Raków is, after all, a master of Polish. We remember our matches with Legia Warsaw, which were very difficult and Tuesday’s match will also be very demanding for us.”
Hamrun Spartans FC vs Maccabi Haifa
Hamrun has a difficult guest in the UEFA Champions League and for the visitors is easier when you think their performances against Benfica, Juventus and PSG in the last season. This is the first time that Hamrun Spartans play in the UEFA Champions League and the performance will be recorded in the club’s history. A win against Maccabi would be a huge success for the Maltese Club.
KI Klaksvík Ítróttarfelag vs Ferencvarosi Budapest
Ferencvarosi will try to secure the qualification in the first game in Faroe Islands. For Klaksvíkar Ítróttarfelag is the fifth time that they qualify in the first round of UEFA Champions League. This time the mission is complicated but not impossible. The Norwegian coach Magne Hoseth hopes that he can keep the qualification open till the next game, but it is quite difficult seeing that Ferencvarosi has passed the first round regularly in the last years.
FC Ballkani vs PFC Ludogorets
Ballkani will expect Ludogoretz in Pristina after the last year success in the UEFA Conference League. This time the history is different and the team from Suhareka knows more about the competition and has more experience. Ludogoretz have participated regularly in the UEFA Competitions and are seen as favorites to go through.
Partizani Tirana vs Bate Borisov
Partizani will wait the guests from Belarus in what could be an interesting journey for the Albanian side. They came in this challenge as the underdogs and it can be a huge success if they participate in the group stage of one of the UEFA Competitions.
Bate Borisov has been part of the UEFA Champions League. They will try to close the qualification in the first game. They will try to use the form advantage to pass in the second round.
Shamrock Rovers vs Breidablik Kopavogur
Shamrock Rovers will play at home with Breidablik and their form will determine the winner and the qualification. The Irish team plays as the Champions of Ireland and will seek a historical qualification in the group stage after the success of Europa League group stage.