Preview: Mjallby AIF vs. Lincoln Red Imps - prediction, team news, lineups

Winless in two months, Mjallby AIF welcome Lincoln Red Imps to Strandvallen on Tuesday, seeking a strong performance and result in their Champions League second qualifying round first leg.

The Hallevik-based club are featuring at this level for the first time in their history, months after one of the greatest underdog stories to claim a maiden Swedish championship, but the Red Imps will look to rain on the home team's parade.

Match preview

Eight months removed from securing a historic Swedish top-flight crown for the first time, Mjallby's title defence has been nothing short of a disaster.

Closer to second-bottom Orgryte than league-leading Sirius after 13 games played, the Swedish champions are unlikely to retain their crown.

While Karl Marius Aksum replaced Anders Torstensson, the incumbent does have the privilege of guiding the Hallevik-based club into their first-ever European sojourn.

The home supporters will be in full voice on Tuesday, as their side aim to claim a significant victory ahead of next week's trip to Gibraltar.

It remains to be seen if their goalless encounter at the weekend moves the needle defensively; however, the Swede's first clean sheet in nine competitive fixtures must have pleased their manager.

Now winless in six matches on the trot, Aksum's men aim to secure a win at the seventh time of asking to make next week's visit to Europa Point Stadium.

Lincoln saw off Andorran outfit Inter Club d'Escaldes with relative ease in the first qualifying round, securing a 4-2 aggregate success.

Aided by not falling behind at any point of the tie, Juanma Pavon's team will face a different sort of test on Tuesday, aiming to beat the defending Swedish champions.

The most obvious challenge beyond the two ties across the next week remains the team's lack of competitive match action, after having played just two games with something riding on it since late April.

Still, the Red Imps finding the back of the net in both first qualifying round matches has continued a trend of scoring in competitive fixtures, going back to mid-February.

Having scored in 14 consecutive matches across all competitions, during which they have not lost, a run that stretches 19 games since January, the away side's prowess gives them a shot of a positive first-leg result.

Mjallby AIF form (all competitions):

Lincoln Red Imps Champions League form:

Team News

A back injury has kept Timo Stavitski out since May, and the winger has not been included in the Mjallby squad for this week's fixture.

Although the defending Allsvenskan champions failed to score in Friday's draw with VSK, they welcomed back Elliot Stroud to the squad after World Cup exertions with Sweden, and the winger should start on Tuesday.

Despite scoring three more league goals than Stroud, Jacob Bergstrom has not scored in three league games since the hiatus, and last found the net from open play in six matches across all competitions; the hosts seek other match-winners if their leading scorer is off-form once again.

Manu Toledano scored 30 league goals in the Gibraltar Football League before moving to Lincoln during the off-season, and he netted a debut goal in the Red Imps' 3-1 win over Inter Escaldes as they opened an encouraging lead.

Despite coming through the first qualifying round, Pavon's team faced 16 and 29 shots, a combined 15 of which were on target, suggesting that Nauzet Santana or Jaylan Hankins could be busy on Tuesday.

Mjallby AIF possible starting lineup:

Wallinder; Noren, Svanberg, Miettinen; Nielsen, Gustafson, Gustavsson, Stroud; Lindberg, Bergstrom, Samuelsen

Lincoln Red Imps possible starting lineup:

Hankins; Eerstelling, Lopes, Rutjens, Nano; Joe, Mandi, Mula; Alvarez, Toni, Toledano