Northern Irish outfit Larne volition statesman their quest for the Champions League against hosts Tre Fiori at Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle on Tuesday successful the archetypal circular of qualifying.
The 2026-27 play is accelerated approaching, and Larne volition look to triumph the archetypal limb of their qualifying necktie against Tre Fiori, who managed to decorativeness archetypal successful San Marino's apical formation past term.
Match preview
Tre Fiori narrowly beat Virtus to archetypal spot successful their home league, with their instrumentality of 73 points seeing them decorativeness up of their rubric rivals by conscionable 1 point.
That was the club's archetypal league rubric since 2019-20, and they present person the accidental to vie for a spot successful the Champions League, though they person ne'er made it past the archetypal qualifying round.
In fact, the hosts person ne'er precocious beyond the qualifiers of immoderate UEFA tournament, with their past continental escapade ending erstwhile they suffered a 5-1 aggregate decision to Pyunik successful the archetypal qualifying circular of the 2025-26 Conference League.
While Tre Fiori person not faced Larne before, they did brushwood Norther Irish team Linfield successful a preliminary qualifier for the 2020-21 Champions League, but they unluckily were beaten 2-0.
Manager Danilo Girolomoni's broadside travel into Tuesday's clash connected the backmost of a gully and a decision successful their 2 astir caller games, portion they person besides drawn 2 and mislaid 1 of their past 4 matches astatine home.
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Larne claimed the top-flight rubric successful Northern Ireland successful 2025-26, ending the run with 83 points, 3 much than second-placed Coleraine.
The club's league rubric was lone the 3rd successful their history, and Tuesday volition beryllium conscionable their 5th ever lucifer successful the Champions League qualifiers.
Unfortunately for boss Gary Haveron, his broadside failed to triumph immoderate of those 4 qualifying fixtures, losing 3 games portion conceding 10 goals.
It should beryllium noted that the visitors' European grounds is considerably amended than their hosts' grounds fixed they reached the league signifier of the Conference League successful 2024-25, arsenic good arsenic the information they person won 7 of their 22 continental clashes overall.
Larne ended the 2025-26 run having suffered 1 decision successful their last six distant matches, winning connected 4 occasions portion settling for a stalemate once.
They person lone played 1 crippled truthful acold this season, but that was a triumph connected penalties against Coleraine, with that triumph securing the Charity Shield aft a goalless stalemate successful regularisation time.
Tre Fiori signifier (all competitions):
Larne signifier (all competitions):
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It is hard to cognize precisely however Tre Fiori volition enactment up considering it is the commencement of a caller season, but possibly goalkeeper Michele Nardi volition beryllium protected by cardinal defenders Mattia Sancisi, Simone Rea and Alex Sirri.
Midfielders Federico Benedettini, Luca Censoni and Federico Dolcini could beryllium stationed down attackers Tommaso Bernardi and Matteo Prandelli.
Larne could look to tract a three-man backline consisting of Sam McClelland, Matthew Ridley and Aaron Donnelly.
Christopher Gallagher whitethorn beryllium positioned astatine the basal of a midfield 3 that besides features Conor McKendry and Mark Randall.
In the guardant line, attacker Daniel Bent is apt to beryllium joined by Tiarnan O'Connor, the second of whom scored 7 goals successful the 2025-26 league season.
Tre Fiori imaginable starting lineup:
Nardi; Sancisi, Rea, Sirri; Sami, Benedettini, Censoni, Dolcini, Ponticelli; Bernardi, Prandelli
Larne imaginable starting lineup:
Ferguson; McClelland, Ridley, Donnelly; Cosgrove, McKendry, Gallagher, Randall, Graham; Bent, O'Connor
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We say: Tre Fiori 1-2 Larne
Though Tre Fiori boast the vantage of playing astatine home, it is hard to place their mediocre grounds successful European competitions.
Larne person besides struggled successful Champions League qualifiers, but they should person capable acquisition to instrumentality a pb into the 2nd leg.
For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.
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