Lincoln Red Imps will host Vikingur Gota at Victoria Stadium on Tuesday in the return leg of their UEFA Champions League first qualifying round, looking to seal their passage into the next stage of the competition.

The Gibraltar outfit come into this clash with a 3-2 advantage following last Wednesday’s thrilling first-leg encounter in Leirvík.

Match preview

Like they had never left, Lincoln returned to competitive action after more than two months away with another commanding first-half performance to take charge of this two-legged tie.

Juanjo Bezares’s side had last featured on May 2, when they defeated Manchester 62 to claim a seventh straight victory and secure the top-flight crown for a seventh consecutive season.

That result in Leirvík extended both Lincoln’s winning streak and their reputation for fast starts, with all five goals in the match coming before the break — meaning the Gibraltar champions have led at halftime in each of their last eight matches.

The last time the Red Imps failed to do so was on home soil against Lions Gibraltar, which also marked their most recent defeat — a 2-1 reverse that now feels like an outlier in what has otherwise been a dominant spell at Victoria Stadium. Juanjo Bezares

Lincoln have recorded nine wins from their last 10 outings at the ground across all competitions, a record that puts them firmly in the driving seat as they aim to move past this stage for a second successive campaign.

Vikingur may only trail by a single goal, but the task ahead remains daunting considering they face a team that has kept clean sheets in nine of their last 13 home fixtures.

The defeat in the opening leg was their second in quick succession, following another home loss to Klaksvik in league action.

However, Vikingur’s away form paints a more encouraging picture, with the visitors claiming five wins from their last seven road games in all competitions, drawing one and losing the other.

Four of those victories came without conceding, meaning any hopes of turning things around here will rest heavily on a disciplined defensive display — though it remains to be seen whether that backline can withstand a Lincoln side that has scored in 11 consecutive matches.

Vikingur will be desperate to avoid another early exit after bowing out at this stage to Helsinki in the 2018-19 campaign, although they did make it to the second round the previous se

Lincoln Red Imps Champions League form:

Lincoln Red Imps form (all competitions):

Vikingur Gota Champions League form:

Vikingur Gota form (all competitions):

Team News

There were no injury concerns for Lincoln in last week’s triumph, so Bezares heads into this one with a full squad available. 

A similar lineup is expected for the return leg, with new signing Christian Rutjens likely to retain his place after making his debut in defence following his arrival from Europa FC.

Bernardo Lopes was the standout performer in the first leg, scoring twice, and the midfielder should be brimming with confidence as he looks to lead from the centre of the pitch once more.

Vikingur also avoided any injuries in the first leg, giving Johan Petur Poulsen a clean bill of health going into the trip to Gibraltar.

However, the head coach will be without midfielder Olaf Bardarson, who is suspended after being shown a straight red card just seven minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Despite drawing a blank in the first leg, top scorer Poul Kallsberg will be relied upon for inspiration in the final third as he looks to rediscover his spark and guide the Icelanders forward.

Lincoln Red Imps possible starting lineup:

Santana; Toni, Munoz, Torrilla, Rutjens; Britto, Lopes, Nano; De Barr, Victor, Gomez

Vikingur Gota possible starting lineup:

Reynatrod; Johnhadsson, Svensson, Gregersen, Skala; Atlason, Vatnhamer, Olsen; Johansen, Karllsberg, Radosavljevic 

We say: Lincoln Red Imps 3-1 Vikingur Gota (Lincoln 6-3 win aggregate)

Lincoln are clearly the side in better shape and will fancy their chances of claiming another win at Victoria Stadium, where they have come out on top in each of their last three matches.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi

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