Sports Mole preview Tuesday’s Champions League clash between The New Saints and Linfield, including predictions, team news and possible line-ups.
The champions of Wales and Northern Ireland meet in the first leg Champions League Qualifying on Tuesday night when The New Saints and Linfield meet at Park Hall Stadium.
Both teams will seek an advantage before returning next week, after which the winners will face off against either Bodo/Glimt or KI in the second phase; the losers are sent to the Europa Conference League.
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game preview
Just weeks after sealing a domestic double by winning the Welsh Cup final in May, the New Saints were back in training for their latest crack in the Champions League – a competition they had never reached the group stage before.
The Saints have reached either the Europa League or Europa Conference League third qualifying rounds in three of the last four years, so certainly start with some hope of causing an upset or two this season.
After two of two victories in the opening friendlies of the pre-season – a 5-1 win over last season’s Cymru Premier runners-up Bala Town and a 2-1 win over Cliftonville – the Oswestry side were beaten 2-0 by Larne last Wednesday in their final warm-up game.
head coach Anthony Limbrick already has experience of continental competitions as his team survived the first two qualifying rounds of the inaugural Conference League season, beating Glentoran and FK Kauno Zalgiris. Heartbreak was to come in the third round, however, in a penalty shoot-out against Czech club Viktoria Plzen.
Limbrick soon lifted his side’s spirits, eventually becoming the first Australian manager to win a top-flight European title, and now the Welsh champions are in their second season in the first qualifier of the new season against Irish opponents.
While TNS sauntered to the Cymru Premiership by a 21-point margin, this year’s first-round opponents clinched the NIFL Premiership by a single point, just ahead of Cliftonville.
Manager David Healeyonce a prominent Northern Ireland international with 95 caps and 36 goals to his credit, the Blues have led them to five titles in the last six seasons and most recently were crowned national champions for the 56th time.
In preparation for their Champions League opener, which concludes at Windsor Park next week, Linfield faced Qatar national team in their first pre-season game, beating the hosts of this winter’s World Cup 1-0 Marbella.
After returning home from a week-long training camp in Spain, Healy’s men succumbed to a goalless draw at Newtown despite being on loan in a 2-1 defeat at SPFL side St Mirren Daniel Finlayson – who recently made his move from Saturday’s opponents – equalized the game after 19 minutes.
Attention now turns to Tuesday night’s competition, when the South Belfast side meet opponents they have played three times in the last 15 years.
After a 2-1 win for Linfield in 2007, both 2009 and 2010’s pre-season encounters ended on a clear note, but the stakes will be far higher when the teams meet twice in the coming days.
The New Saints Form (all competitions):
Linfield form (all competitions):
Team News
Two summer signings are battling for a start for The New Saints on Tuesday night as a winger Josh Daniels – a former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international – joins goalkeeper Daniel Atherton in Anthony Limbrick’s squad.
The latter, a Liverpool academy graduate, has previous UEFA Youth League experience and will be competing there Connor Roberts to act as the last line of defense for the hosts.
Scottish striker Declan McManus will lead the lineup after being named 2021-22 Cymru Premier Player of the Season with 24 league goals.
However, Linfield has lost his captain in attack, as Christy Manzinga recently joined Hungarian club Zalaegerszegi after being the club’s top scorer with 20 goals in 37 appearances last season.
In his absence, the striker should make his first competitive appearance Robbie McDaidwho joined the club from rivals Glentoran last week and was playing for his former club against TNS at that point last season.
Finnish striker Eetu Vertainen wasn’t signed up in time to play this week, but other signings, such as Chris McKee, Joel Cooper and Daniel Finlayson – the latter, a Northern Ireland Under-21 international on loan from St Mirren – should play a role.
The possible starting line-up for the New Saints:
Roberts; D Davies, Astles, K Davies, Marriott; Routledge, Brobbel, Redmond; Daniels, McManus, Cieslewicz
Linfield possible starting line-up:
John’s; Finlayson, Roscoe, Hall, Shields; McClean, Mulgrew; Fallon, Cooper, Fallon; McDaid
We say The New Saints 1-1 Linfield
Neither side is likely to reveal too much in the first leg of this clash, so it could be a tight affair at Park Hall.
Nonetheless, the visitors have enough offensive threat to strike at least once – and are thus well prepared for the return next Wednesday in Belfast.
For data analysis of the most likely outcomes, goal scores and more for this game, please click here.
top tip
Our expert Tipster partners at Sporita.com predict over 1.5 goals in this game. Click here to find out what else they predict for this game and for more of their football best tips.About 1.5: data