Champions League | First qualifying round

Jul 8, 2025 at 7pm UK

Vikingur Gota vs Lincoln Red Imps

Match preview

Vikingur secured their spot in the Champions League qualifiers by winning the Faroese top division last season, which marks their third appearance in this competition.

The Vikings first entered the Champions League in the 2017–18 season, reaching the second qualifying round. However, they failed to progress beyond the opening round in their most recent appearance in the 2018–19 season.

Things have not gone smoothly for Johan Pétur Poulsen’s side in the domestic league this time around. They are currently sitting in second place, 22 points behind runaway leaders Klaksvíkar, with 24 points from 16 matches.

In their most recent match, Vikingur narrowly lost 1-0 at home to Klaksvikar, bringing an end to their four-match unbeaten run in all competitions. This run included a 2-0 cup victory over Toftir and three consecutive home wins.

Despite this setback, they have won six of their last eight matches at Vio Djupumyrar, and their solid home form could be crucial on Tuesday.

This will be the first-ever meeting between Vikingur and Lincoln Red Imps, but the visitors arrive with a wealth of European experience.

They are no strangers to Champions League qualifiers, having reached the second round as recently as last season. Juanjo Bezares’s team secured their spot again this year by winning the Gibraltar Football League for the seventh consecutive time.

While Lincoln have become regular representatives of Gibraltar in both the Champions League and the Conference League qualifiers, they have rarely made it far, with their most notable achievement being reaching the group stage of the Conference League in 2021–22.

However, the Gibraltar league is currently on its summer break, which could leave Lincoln lacking match sharpness compared to Vikingur, who are in the thick of their season and playing regularly.

Team News

Poul Kallsberg has been Vikingur’s standout performer so far this season, leading the team with six goals. He is expected to play a key role in their attacking strategy once again.

Jørgen Nielsen is expected to continue leading the line, with Stefan Radosavljević operating just behind him in a creative midfield role.

Meanwhile, Lincoln have been busy in the transfer market in preparation for the new campaign, having already brought in seven new players to bolster their squad.

Among the new arrivals are centre-forward Samuel Benitez, who joined from Manchester 62 on a free transfer, and centre-back Christain Rutjens, who switched from Europa FC.

Possible starting lineup

Vikingur Gota possible starting lineup:

Reynatrod; Gregersen, Jonhardsson, Svensson; Vatnhamar, Bardarson, Skola, Atlason; Nielsen, Radosavljevic, Kallsberg

Lincoln Red Imps possible starting lineup:

Santana; Gonzalez, Lopes, Munoz, Ayew; Hoe, Torilla, Britto, Toni, De Barr; Gomez