Preview: Lincoln Red Imps vs FC Noah - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to both continue their European adventures, Lincoln Red Imps and FC Noah met in the Europa League on Thursday night at Europa Point Stadium.

The two sides are battling it out in the third round of qualifying, meaning that they are potentially four games away from a spot in the coveted league phase.

Match preview

The dominant side in Gibraltar in recent years, Lincoln Red Imps are yet to convert their domestic prowess onto the European stage just yet, with Thursday night's hosts at Europa Point Stadium hoping to turn a page in that respect against FC Noah.

The Imps have already turned out on four occasions in European competition during the early stages of the 2025-26 campaign, playing a quartet of Champions League matches in the first and second qualifying rounds, facing different fates in each tie.

Lincoln Red Imps secured a comfortable 4-2 success over Vikingur across two legs to set up a tie with Red Star Belgrade in the next stage, with the Gibraltan minnows losing 6-1 on aggregate, leading to a demotion to the Europa League and a clash with Noah.

Finding the net in the 5-1 defeat at the base of the Serbian giants last time out, Tjay de Barr is an experienced option for the Imps at the top end of the pitch, having featured for the likes of Wycombe Wanderers and Eastleigh in the English system.

After making their European debut in the Conference League last term alongside Club World Cup winners Chelsea, FC Noah are back for a second bite at the continental cherry, with Thursday night's visitors to Gibraltar enduring a similar fate to their hosts so far.

Noah commenced their 2025-26 European schedule in the first round of Champions League qualifying - scraping past the attentions of Buducnost Podgorica from Montenegro - before losing 6-4 on aggregate to Hungarian giants Ferencvaros.

Noah's fifth competitive match of the new term arrived on the domestic front on Sunday afternoon, when they kick-started their defence of the Armenian Premier League with a convincing four-goal battering of relegated-threatened Shirak.

Finding the net four times in the Conference League for Noah last season, Matheus Aias is the standout man at the top end of the pitch for Thursday's visitors, with the 28-year-old Brazilian possessing the ability to unlock a defence with a moment of brilliance.

Lincoln Red Imps form (all competitions): W W L L

FC Noah Europa League form: W D L L W

Team News

Despite conceding five during the defeat at Red Star Belgrade, Lincoln Red Imps should continue with a centre-back pairing of Bernardo Lopes and Christian Rutjens.

Providing an assist and also missing a penalty, right-back Nano had an eventful evening in Serbia and is set to retain his spot in the side.

Finding the net in the first half on the weekend against Shirak, both talisman Aias and Virgile Pinson will start for FC Noah on Thursday night.

Bagging two goal contributions against Ferencvaros in the Champions League last month, Portugal winger Helder will be confident of causing problems for the Gibraltan hosts.

Lincoln Red Imps possible starting lineup:

Santana; Nano, Rutjens, Lopes, Munoz; Juanje, Torilla, Britto; Toni, Victor, De Barr

FC Noah possible starting lineup:

Cancarevic; Boakye, Silva, Muradyan, Thorarinsson; Eteki, Sangare, Helder, Manvelyan, Grgic; Aias