Welsh champions The New Saints are set to face Macedonian title-winners Shkendija at Park Hall on Tuesday, in the first leg of their Champions League first qualifying round.

The New Saints will be hoping to overcome their recent poor form, while Shkendija aims to build on their latest victory.

Under Craig Harrison, The New Saints became the first Welsh league club to reach the league phase of a European competition when they qualified for the Conference League in the 2024-25 season, and they aspire to advance further in the UEFA Champions League this year.

TNS were only one point ahead of Penybont when the Welsh top flight split, but they clinched the title by finishing 14 points clear at the top of the Championship Conference.

However, since the end of the domestic season, Harrison's team has struggled, winning none of their three preparatory qualifiers and losing 1-0 to Newtown on July 1.

Relying on their strong home record, which includes a perfect streak of wins in 2025, and their experience from last season's first qualifying round victory over FK Decic (4-1 on aggregate), the hosts will need to perform.

They eventually dropped to the Europa League qualifiers after a heavy defeat to Ferencvaros and later to the Conference League after a narrow 1-0 loss to Petrocub Hincesti, but their achievement in the third-tier competition remains memorable for fans.

Meanwhile, Jeton Beqiri's Shkendija are experienced in UEFA qualifying rounds, though this is their first Champions League appearance since 2021-22.

Shkendija secured their spot by winning their fifth Macedonian First League title, edging out Sileks by three points with 20 wins to their 19.

Although they led the league in goals scored, they conceded 30 goals in 33 matches, more than Sileks' 19 and Rabotnichki's 21, highlighting defensive issues.

This defensive vulnerability could be a concern in knockout ties, but with only one away loss since early March and just two clean sheets in their last 11 games, they might draw confidence from their resilience.

If Shkendija can avoid defeat at Park Hall, they could gain a significant advantage for the home leg, though they were previously defeated by Welsh side Haverfordwest County on penalties in the 2023-24 Conference League qualifying round.

Possible starting lineup for The New Saints:

Roberts; Park, McGahey, Bodenham, Redmond; Smith, Williams; Wilson, Holden, Brobell; Clarke

Possible starting lineup for Shkendija:

Amzai; Trumci, Cake, Meliqi, Webster; Alhassan, R Ramdani; Tamba, Krasniqi, Latifi; Ademi