FK Shkupi vs Lincoln Red Imps Preview 05/07/2022

FK Shkupi vs Lincoln Red Imps – 05/07/2022

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On Tuesday night, Shkupi host Lincoln Red Imps in the Champions League first qualifying round first leg, as both teams look to gain a potential vital lead to take into the second leg.

Shkupi

The team from Macedonia qualified for the Champions League qualifying round by winning the domestic league by 12 points. This season will be the first time the home team has featured in European football’s elite competition.

Their preparation for this vital first leg has not been great, as they have played four friendly matches against Ballkani, Tirana, Fenerbahce and Hermannstadt without claiming a victory while suffering three defeats and picking up one draw.

Shkupi will be looking to star forward Sunday Adetunji for inspiration, as the 24-year-old Nigerian international scored 20 goals in 28 league matches in their title-winning campaign. Midfielder Freddy Alvarez will also be an attacking threat to the visitor’s defence.

Lincoln Red Imps

Like their hosts, Lincoln Red Imps won their domestic league comfortably, finishing 11 points clear of second-place Europa in the standings.

However, the team from Gibraltar has only played one friendly match since claiming the league title, which produced a 2-2 draw against SPL team Kilmarnock.

Unlike their opponents, though, the visitors do have a history of playing in the Champions League. Their history with the competition is a poor one, though, as they have a poor recent record in the Champions League.

In last season’s Champions League, they suffered a 4-1 aggregate defeat against Cluj in the second qualifying round. In fact, they head into this clash on the back of just one win in their last six games in the competition, having suffered defeat in three of their previous five games.

What does Forebet predict?

Forebet predicts that Shkupi will record a victory in a high-scoring game to gain a vital first-leg lead.