Mjällby
On Tuesday, 21 July, the first leg of the second qualifying round of the Champions League between Mjallby AIF and Lincoln Red Imps FC will take place at Strandvallen in Hallevik. The match will kick off at 17:00 BST.
The Swedish champions look the logical favourites in the tie. Yes, Aksum's side are not getting the results they want, but the gulf in class is too obvious. Lincoln Red Imps FC have clearly reached their ceiling in qualifying, but can they avoid a heavy defeat?
Mjallby AIF go into the start of Champions League qualifying on a poor run — they have not won since 14 May. Seven matches in the Swedish league and one friendly against FC Copenhagen (3:5) point to an emerging crisis. On the other hand, the Scandinavian champions have failed to score only twice in that spell — including in the most recent round against Vasteras SK (0:0). Mjallby AIF have a decent low block: their 3-4-3 system gives them control in midfield, while the wide areas constantly generate chances going forward. However, that does not always translate into goals: at home against Vasteras SK, their advantage in goalscoring situations was huge — 1.80-0.68 in xG and 16-7 in shots. It seems Aksum's side know how to keep everything under control, but problems with finishing are leaving Mjallby AIF without wins.
Lincoln Red Imps FC “woke from hibernation” two weeks ago. Before their clashes with Andorra's Inter Club d'Escaldes (4:2 on aggregate), the Gibraltar champions had not played since 25 April — that lack of match practice was clear to the naked eye. Pavon's side failed away from home: the match ended in a draw (1:1), but Lincoln Red Imps FC did not deserve that outcome (7-31 in shots). In Sweden, Lincoln Red Imps FC will not be able to defend compactly: they play in a 4-3-3 system, putting plenty of emphasis on vertical passes. Against top-level opposition, the speed of their attacks will drop, while the quality of the squad will deprive the underdogs of any chances.
Lincoln Red Imps FC trail Mjallby AIF by more than 10 times in transfer value — EUR2.2 million against EUR25.8 million. The Swedish champions will end their poor run — they need to wake up right now. Fortunately, the opposition's form allows for that.
Matthew De Gabriele (Malta)
Matches – 6 (international fixtures, 2024–2026);
Average fouls per match – 24;
Average yellow cards per match (including second yellows) – 4.5;
Matches with a red card – 2 out of 6;
Matches with a penalty – 2 out of 6.
|
Andreas Brännström
|
coach | ||
| Player | Matches | Goals | |
|
Line-up
|
|||
|
Robin Lars Wallinder
|
gk. | 0 | 0 |
|
Ludvig Oliver Svanberg
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Tom Peder Pettersson
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Tony Miettinen
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Elliot Karl Stroud
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Jeppe Kjær Jensen
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Karl Viktor Gustafson
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Per Jesper Gustavsson
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Villiam John Morgan Granath
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Anders Jacob Bergström
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Áki Debes Samuelsen
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Substitutes
|
|||
|
Henric Alexander Lundin
|
gk. | 0 | 0 |
|
Abdullah Iqbal
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Axel Vilhelm Lindberg Norén
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Martin Agnarsson
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Max Klarlund Nielsen
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Lars Ludvig Nicholas Tidstrand
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Per Olle Elton Lindberg
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Romeo Arrhenius Leandersson
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Teo Helge
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Abdoulie Manneh
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Ali Ben Safouane Youssef
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Bork Classønn Bang-Kittilsen
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Juan Manuel Pavon
|
coach | ||
| Player | Matches | Goals | |
|
Line-up
|
|||
|
Jaylan Ernest Hankins
|
gk. | 2 | -4 |
|
Bernardo Morgado Gaspar Lopes
|
df. | 3 | 0 |
|
Christian Rutjens Oliva
|
df. | 3 | 0 |
|
Mariano González Maroto
|
df. | 3 | 1 |
|
Gabriel Sebastián Cardozo Tomás
|
df. | 2 | 0 |
|
Armando Sosa Peña
|
mf. | 3 | 0 |
|
José Manuel Martínez Oliver
|
mf. | 3 | 0 |
|
Julliani Giowani Eersteling
|
mf. | 3 | 0 |
|
Antonio García Montero
|
fw. | 3 | 0 |
|
Enrique Gómez Bernal
|
fw. | 3 | 0 |
|
Manuel Toledano Ortiz
|
fw. | 3 | 1 |
|
Substitutes
|
|||
|
Nauzet García Santana
|
gk. | 1 | -1 |
|
Mark Pieter Gustav Hamm
|
gk. | 0 | 0 |
|
Yussef Flalhi Idrissi
|
df. | 3 | 0 |
|
Ethan Terence Jolley
|
df. | 1 | 0 |
|
Facundo Rafael Álvarez
|
mf. | 3 | 1 |
|
Nicolas Sellassie Clara Pinto
|
mf. | 2 | 0 |
|
Graeme Lee Torrilla
|
mf. | 1 | 0 |
|
Alejandro Miguel Mula Sánchez
|
fw. | 3 | 1 |
|
Rubén García Flores
|
fw. | 1 | 0 |
|
Lee Henry Casciaro
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
Inter Club d'Escaldes
Lincoln Red Imps
Lincoln Red Imps
Inter Club d'Escaldes
| # | Team | Form | Matches played | W | D | L | G | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
PSG
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6:1 | 3 |
|
2
|
Bayern Munich
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5:0 | 3 |
|
3
|
Barcelona
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5:1 | 3 |
|
4
|
Manchester United
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4:0 | 3 |
|
5
|
Como
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4:1 | 3 |
|
6
|
Sporting CP
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:1 | 3 |
|
7
|
Stuttgart
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:1 | 3 |
|
8
|
Manchester City
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:0 | 3 |
|
9
|
Aston Villa
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:2 | 3 |
|
10
|
Lens
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:2 | 3 |
|
11
|
Real Betis
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:2 | 3 |
|
12
|
Borussia Dortmund
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:2 | 3 |
|
13
|
Liverpool
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
14
|
Real Madrid
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
15
|
Arsenal
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1:0 | 3 |
|
16
|
AEK Athens
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1:0 | 3 |
|
17
|
AS Roma
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1:1 | 1 |
|
18
|
Shakhtar Donetsk
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1:1 | 1 |
|
19
|
Fenerbahce
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1:1 | 1 |
|
20
|
PSV
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1:1 | 1 |
|
21
|
Villarreal
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2:3 | 0 |
|
22
|
Brugge
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2:3 | 0 |
|
23
|
Lille
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2:3 | 0 |
|
24
|
Slavia Prague
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2:3 | 0 |
|
25
|
Atlético Madrid
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
26
|
Inter Milan
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
27
|
LASK Linz
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:1 | 0 |
|
28
|
Napoli
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:1 | 0 |
|
29
|
Galatasaray
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:3 | 0 |
|
30
|
Viking
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:3 | 0 |
|
31
|
Porto
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:2 | 0 |
|
32
|
RB Leipzig
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:4 | 0 |
|
33
|
Feyenoord
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:5 | 0 |
|
34
|
FK Sabah
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:4 | 0 |
|
35
|
Slovan Bratislava
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:6 | 0 |
|
36
|
Bodo Glimt
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:5 | 0 |
| # | Team | Form | Matches played | W | D | L | G | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
PSG
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6:1 | 3 |
|
2
|
Bayern Munich
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5:0 | 3 |
|
3
|
Barcelona
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5:1 | 3 |
|
4
|
Manchester United
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4:0 | 3 |
|
5
|
Como
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4:1 | 3 |
|
6
|
Sporting CP
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:1 | 3 |
|
7
|
Stuttgart
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:1 | 3 |
|
8
|
Borussia Dortmund
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:2 | 3 |
|
9
|
Liverpool
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
10
|
Real Madrid
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
11
|
AEK Athens
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1:0 | 3 |
|
12
|
Fenerbahce
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1:1 | 1 |
|
13
|
PSV
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1:1 | 1 |
|
14
|
Manchester City
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
15
|
Aston Villa
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
16
|
Lens
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
17
|
Real Betis
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
18
|
Arsenal
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
19
|
AS Roma
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
20
|
Shakhtar Donetsk
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
21
|
Villarreal
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
22
|
Brugge
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2:3 | 0 |
|
23
|
Lille
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2:3 | 0 |
|
24
|
Slavia Prague
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2:3 | 0 |
|
25
|
Atlético Madrid
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
26
|
Inter Milan
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
27
|
LASK Linz
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
28
|
Napoli
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:1 | 0 |
|
29
|
Galatasaray
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
30
|
Viking
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
31
|
Porto
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:2 | 0 |
|
32
|
RB Leipzig
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
33
|
Feyenoord
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
34
|
FK Sabah
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
35
|
Slovan Bratislava
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
36
|
Bodo Glimt
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
| # | Team | Form | Matches played | W | D | L | G | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Manchester City
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:0 | 3 |
|
2
|
Aston Villa
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:2 | 3 |
|
3
|
Lens
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:2 | 3 |
|
4
|
Real Betis
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:2 | 3 |
|
5
|
Arsenal
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1:0 | 3 |
|
6
|
AS Roma
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1:1 | 1 |
|
7
|
Shakhtar Donetsk
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1:1 | 1 |
|
8
|
PSG
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
9
|
Bayern Munich
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
10
|
Barcelona
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
11
|
Manchester United
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
12
|
Como
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
13
|
Sporting CP
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
14
|
Stuttgart
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
15
|
Borussia Dortmund
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
16
|
Liverpool
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
17
|
Real Madrid
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
18
|
AEK Athens
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
19
|
Fenerbahce
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
20
|
PSV
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
21
|
Villarreal
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2:3 | 0 |
|
22
|
Brugge
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
23
|
Lille
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
24
|
Slavia Prague
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
25
|
Atlético Madrid
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
26
|
Inter Milan
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
27
|
LASK Linz
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:1 | 0 |
|
28
|
Napoli
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
29
|
Galatasaray
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:3 | 0 |
|
30
|
Viking
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:3 | 0 |
|
31
|
Porto
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
|
32
|
RB Leipzig
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:4 | 0 |
|
33
|
Feyenoord
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:5 | 0 |
|
34
|
FK Sabah
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:4 | 0 |
|
35
|
Slovan Bratislava
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:6 | 0 |
|
36
|
Bodo Glimt
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:5 | 0 |
