Amid a sensational streak of domestic form, Faroe Islands champions KI Klaksvik host Hungarian giants Ferencvaros in the first leg of their Champions League first-round qualifying clash on Tuesday.
Both sides are bidding to set up a second-round affair with either BK Hacken or The New Saints, while the losers will be demoted to the Europa Conference League Champions Path second qualifying round.
Match preview
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Unlike many of their fellow Champions League minnows returning to action after their summer holidays, KI are already in the thick of their domestic season, and after 15 games in the 2023 Faroe Islands Premier League, the holders have defined perfection.
This week's hosts went through the entire 2022 league campaign undefeated, gleaning an outstanding 77 points from 81 on offer to win the Faroe Islands Premier League for the 20th time, and not a single team has been able to lay a glove on Magne Hoseth's charges in the 2023 top flight either.
Indeed, with 15 games gone in the 2023 season, KI have a maximum tally of 45 points to their name, most recently overcoming their closest challengers - 35-point Havnar Boltfelag - 2-0 last weekend thanks to Arni Frederiksberg's penalty and Sivert Gussias's strike on the stroke of half time.
However, one minor blot on KI's notebook from the 2023 season so far was a quarter-final exit in the Faroe Islands Cup, but the hosts have bigger European fish to fry this week, and they have enjoyed the luxury of a weekend break from domestic duties in preparation for the visit of Ferencvaros.
KI are no strangers to European qualifying phases and beat Norwegian giants Bodo/Glimt 3-1 at home in the first Champions League round last year - although they were ultimately knocked out 4-3 on aggregate - before their bid to reach the Europa Conference League group phase ended at the penultimate hurdle to FC Ballkani.
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The less said about Ferencvaros' end-of-season struggles the better, as Stanislav Cherchesov's side only managed to claim four victories from their final 12 games in the Hungarian top flight, losing each of their last three in a dampening end to the campaign.
However, that undesirable sequence paled into insignificance thanks to the visitors' early dominance in the Nemzeti Bajnoksag I, and they would eventually be crowned Hungarian champions for the fifth year running and 34th time in their history, finishing six points clear of runners-up Kecskemet.
Ferencvaros' recent inconsistency continued in a quintet of summer friendlies, during which they only won twice and were defeated 2-1 by Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg, but their most recent exhibition fixture ended in a convincing 3-0 success over Botosani.
After falling in the third round of Champions League qualifying to Qarabag FK last year, Ferencvaros impressively pipped Monaco to first place in Europa League Group H to reach the last 16 - ending a 46-year exile from the European knockout stages - but Bayer Leverkusen subsequently subjected them to a 4-0 aggregate beating.
The hangover from last year's historic European exertions could be used as an excuse for the visitors' dip in form during the spring months, and Cherchesov's refreshed troops now seek to stamp their authority on Faroe Islands soil during their inaugural clash with KI.
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Team News
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KI will be forced into an unwanted defensive alteration here, as centre-back Odmar Faero must serve a continental suspension, but he was taken off before half time in their recent league win over HB either way.
Heini Vatnsdal should therefore earn a recall, but 14-goal top scorer Pall Klettskard - who works as a carpenter by trade - has missed his side's last three games with an unspecified concern and could supposedly be sidelined until September.
The onus will therefore be on Frederiksberg to make the net ripple on Tuesday night, and the 31-year-old has also chipped in with seven assists throughout the season, level with the absent Klettskard.
In contrast, Ferencvaros have little to worry about on the injury front, and the Hungarian champions have sought to address last season's late collapse by bringing in 12 new recruits during the summer transfer window.
A few recognisable names have also departed, including Balint Vecsei, Adnan Kovacevic and ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Adam Bogdan, but striker Ryan Mmaee remains on the books despite reported interest from Luton Town.
Both Ryan Mmaee and his brother Samy Mmaee should feature from the off for Ferencvaros here, but Aleksandar Pesic - one of their summer signings - could be out for another few weeks with a shoulder issue.
KI Klaksvik possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Pavlovic, Vatnsdal, Petersen; Danielsen, Andreasen, Joensen, Da Silva; Frederiksberg, Kronberg; Gussias
Ferencvaros possible starting lineup:
Dibusz; Botka, S. Mmaee, Cisse, Civic; Abu Fani, Barath; Traore, Zachariassen, Marquinhos; R. Mmaee
We say: KI Klaksvik 0-2 Ferencvaros
It may take some time for all of Ferencvaros' new faces to gel fully, but following last year's marked improvement on the European stage, the visitors should start as they mean to go on.
KI may be the undisputed top dogs in the Faroe Islands, but we cannot see any way for Hoseth's side to pull off a shock result here, as Ferencvaros head into the second leg on July 19 with a healthy advantage.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
