Lincoln Red Imps vs Inter Club d'Escaldes - prediction, team news, lineups

The 2026-27 Champions League run gets nether mode this week arsenic Gibraltar's Lincoln Red Imps invited Andorra's Inter Club d'Escaldes to Europa Point Stadium connected Tuesday for the archetypal limb of their archetypal qualifying circular tie.

This volition beryllium the archetypal competitory gathering betwixt the 2 clubs, with the instrumentality limb acceptable to instrumentality spot a week aboriginal astatine the Estadi Nacional alternatively than Inter's accustomed location crushed successful Encamp, which is undergoing transportation renovations.

Match preview

Lincoln caput into the caller run arsenic serial Gibraltar champions aft securing a sixth successive Gibraltar Football League title, edging rivals St Joseph's connected head-to-head grounds earlier completing the home treble with a 5-0 demolition of Mons Calpe successful the Rock Cup final.

This is acold from unfamiliar territory for the Red Imps, who became the archetypal Gibraltarian nine to participate Champions League qualifying backmost successful the 2014-15 season.

They stay Gibraltar's standard-bearers successful European competition, having reached the UEFA Conference League radical signifier for the archetypal clip successful 2021-22 aft eliminating Latvian champions Riga FC, an accomplishment they repeated successful 2025-26 erstwhile they besides became the archetypal Gibraltarian broadside to triumph a European league-phase lucifer courtesy of a 2-1 location triumph implicit Polish champions Lech Poznan.

Their astir celebrated Champions League infinitesimal came successful 2016 erstwhile Lee Casciaro's extremity secured a stunning 1-0 triumph implicit Scottish champions Celtic successful Brendan Rodgers' archetypal crippled successful complaint of the Hoops, though they yet bowed retired aft a 3-0 decision successful the 2nd limb astatine Celtic Park.

In past season's Champions League, Lincoln progressed from the opening qualifying circular earlier losing to Red Star Belgrade successful the second, dropping into Europa League qualifying, wherever they precocious to the play-off circular earlier Braga ended their hopes, sending them into the Conference League league phase.

There has besides been alteration successful the dugout, with long-serving caput manager Juanjo Bezares moving into the relation of method caput up of the caller run and erstwhile Cadiz B brag Juanma Pavon taking complaint successful May, meaning Tuesday's contention volition beryllium his archetypal competitory lucifer successful charge.

Although this is Lincoln's archetypal gathering with Inter, they bash person erstwhile acquisition against Andorran opposition, having defeated FC Santa Coloma 2-1 connected aggregate successful the archetypal qualifying circular of the 2015-16 Champions League to go the archetypal Gibraltarian nine to scope the 2nd qualifying round.

Inter besides get aft retaining the Andorran Primera Divisio rubric successful 2025-26, a 2nd consecutive title and the club's 5th overall, having antecedently lifted the trophy successful 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2024-25.

This volition beryllium Inter's 5th quality successful Champions League qualifying since making their debut successful 2020-21 aft winning the home rubric the erstwhile season.

They person ne'er progressed beyond the opening qualifying circular of the Champions League, portion their champion European runs person ended successful the 2nd qualifying circular of different UEFA competitions.

Last season, Inter came agonisingly adjacent to reaching the adjacent signifier aft losing 4-3 connected aggregate to Romanian giants FCSB, recovering from a 3-1 first-leg decision successful Bucharest with a 2-1 location triumph that yet proved insufficient.

Unlike their opponents, Inter caput into the run with managerial continuity, arsenic Felip Ortiz remains astatine the helm aft taking complaint successful June 2024 pursuing the departure of Otger Canals.

Lincoln Red Imps Champions League form:

Lincoln Red Imps signifier (all competitions):

Inter Club d'Escaldes Champions League form:

Inter Club d'Escaldes signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Lincoln volition person attacking options successful Kike Gomez, Yussef El Falahi Idrissi and 44-year-old nine fable Lee Casciaro, each of whom are pushing to commencement successful Juanma Pavon's archetypal competitory fixture successful charge.

Mandi, Joe, Toni, Graeme Torrilla and Nico Pinto are among the midfielders competing for places, portion Ethan Jolley, Ethan Britto and Christian Rutjens volition besides anticipation to gain starting roles.

Inter's cardinal players see experienced goalkeeper Javi Diaz, midfielder Juan Camara, guardant Maurizio Pochettino and starring marksman Borja Arellano, who finished arsenic the Primera Divisio's apical scorer past play with 19 goals.

The Andorran champions person besides strengthened during the summer, bringing successful midfielder Lamine Diaby, wide players Sule Sidibe and Alfred Planas, left-back Marc Rodriguez and winger Juanda Fuentes connected indebtedness from Gimnastic Tarragona.

Lincoln Red Imps imaginable starting lineup:

Hankins; Kolega, Ayew, Eersteling, Toscano; Pozo, Clinton; Flalhi, De Barr, Juanje; Casciaro

Inter Club d'Escaldes imaginable starting lineup:

Adri; Dacu, Pochettino, Sanchez, Torres; David Lopez, Messo, Sans; Arellano, Chouaib, Kaxe

We say: Lincoln Red Imps 1-0 Inter Club d'Escaldes

Lincoln's superior European pedigree gives them a flimsy borderline heading into the archetypal leg, but Inter person steadily built invaluable continental acquisition successful caller seasons and person capable prime to support the necktie finely balanced up of adjacent week's instrumentality successful Andorra.
 

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