British duel in the Champions League
In the Champions League there are basically British duels every year. However, the strongest teams of the English Premier League are then on the pitch in the decisive rounds. This British duel on Tuesday has nothing to do with England, and the final rounds certainly do, when The New Saints from Wales will take on Linfield FC from Northern Ireland.
The two national champions will already meet in the first round of the Champions League qualifiers. So somewhat, both teams will be hoping to be in the top flight at some point. Realistically, however, that will not happen in the foreseeable future. The minimum goal is therefore to reach the group stage of the Conference League.
The winner will meet the winner of the Bodö/Glimt versus Klaksvik duel in the second round. The loser will play on in the third qualifying round of the Conference League. If they make it to the second round, they might even be able to participate in the Europa League. But that’s all still up in the air.
The national leagues in Wales and Northern Ireland are not much different in terms of quality. Probably both team should be around the same level. That doesn’t make it any easier to make the right tip on the match outcome between TNS and Linfield. In any case, we reckon it will be the second leg at Windsor Park in Belfast a week later that will decide who goes through to the next stage.
TNS – Statistics & current form
The New Saints have played a great season in the Welsh League, taking the title again, their 14th overall, by 21 points after 2019. They also added a Welsh Cup triumph at the start of May after beating Penybont. That means Anthony Limbrick’s team have earned the domestic double, but what that is worth on international terrain will become clear on Tuesday.
Broad chest as double winners
The new season has not yet started in Wales. The first matchday is not scheduled until mid-August. Therefore, The New Saints will have to make a cold start into the new season, even though there were of course some test matches before the qualification for the Champions League. Among them was a win against Northern Irish runners-up Cliftonville.
On Tuesday, however, the results from the preparatory matches will no longer matter anyway. Getting through this first round would be very important and would significantly increase the chance of participating in an international group stage. We tend to look at the odds for a home win before the first leg between TNS and Linfield.
Keeper Paul Harrison has finished his career. Connor Roberts is expected to replace him in goal. Newcomer Josh Daniels could possibly play his first competitive game for TNS as a winger. Declan McManus, who was the top scorer in Wales last season and was personally named player of the season, is sure to be a force to be reckoned with.
Predicted line-up of TNS:
Roberts – Marriot, K. Davies, Astles, D. Davies – Redmond, Routledge, Smith, Brobbel – Williams, McManus – Coach: Limbrick
Last matches played by TNS:
Welsh Cup
01/05/2022 – Penybont 2 – 3 The New Saints FC
Premier League Championship Group
23/04/2022 – The New Saints FC 3 – 1 Caernarfon
18/04/2022 – Newtown 0 – 2 The New Saints FC
15/04/2022 – The New Saints FC 7 – 0 Flint Town United
09/04/2022 – Penybont 1 – 2 The New Saints FC
Linfield – Statistics & current form
You often look in vain for the big names in the Northern Irish clubs. Thus, at Linfield FC, the focus is not on the players, but on the coach. David Healy is a legend of the Green and White Army. He played 95 caps for Northern Ireland and scored 36 goals. In his homeland, the coach is a legend. He has now been on the sidelines as LFC coach for six years.
The Bavaria of Northern Ireland
Last time Linfield won the national championship five times in a row. With 56 titles, the Blues are by far the record champions of Northern Ireland. Nevertheless, the club has not earned great international merits. Participating in a group stage in the European Cup would be a first for the Northern Irish. However, it will be two tough key games against the champions from Wales on the way there.
Football in Northern Ireland is also still in the summer break. The first matchday in the Premier League does not take place until mid-August. Therefore, there is at least no team at a disadvantage in this respect. However, the current form is also difficult to assess and therefore the prediction in the first leg between TNS and Linfield is also a bit of a matter of luck.
Bitter for the Northern Irish is the departure of attacker Christy Mazinga, who has moved to Zalaegerszegi in Hungary. As last year’s top scorer, the top scorer is difficult to replace. Robbie McDaid is expected to fill the gap. It remains to be seen whether the other newcomers Chris McKee, Joel Cooper or Daniel Finlayson will make an appearance. Finn Eetu Vertainen, on the other hand, should miss Tuesday’s first leg.
Predicted Linfield line-up:
Johns – Finlayson, Roscoe, Hall, Shields – McClean, Mulgrew – Fallon, Stewart, Cooper – McDaid – Coach: Healy
Last matches played by Linfield:
Friendly club matches
02/07/2022 – Linfield FC 1 – 2 St Mirren
Premiership Championship Group
30/04/2022 – Linfield FC 2 – 0 Coleraine FC
23/04/2022 – Linfield FC 0 – 0 Larne
20/04/2022 – Crusaders FC 1 – 2 Linfield FC
16/04/2022 – Linfield FC 1 – 1 Glentoran
TNS – Linfield Direct comparison / H2H balance
The New Saints and Linfield teams have yet to meet in a competitive match. The two clubs have faced each other three times in a pre-season test match. The direct comparison favours the Northern Irish, who won 2-1 in 2007. The two clubs then played out two draws in 2009 and 2010.
TNS – Linfield Tip
If the season has not yet started in the domestic leagues, then you have to jump straight into the deep end in the international competitions. This direct duel between the champions from Wales and Northern Ireland is extremely important for both teams. With the introduction of the Conference League, the national champions now have a better chance of reaching the group stage of a European competition.
The winner of this direct duel has a good chance of at least playing in the Conference League, which would be a great success for both teams. Current form is difficult to judge and even the direct comparison doesn’t give us any real clues as to how Tuesday’s first leg will turn out.
Of course, the home advantage could be a bargaining chip for the Welsh, especially since the euphoria in the country is great after the successful World Cup qualification. Nevertheless, we are rather reluctant to bet on the outcome of the match. However, we are pretty sure that there will be no preliminary decision on Tuesday and have decided to play the betting odds on goals for both teams between TNS and Linfield.
