B36 Torshavn -v- Linfield
Credit:
LINFIELD
Linfield travel to Torshavn with work to do after failing to breakdown the visitors despite dominating the goalless draw in Windsor Park and creating a host of chances.
The extra week's training will benefit the South Belfast outfit as they lacked the required sharpness to overcome their dogged, but limited, opponents.
The quest for goals will not be helped by an injury picked up by new striker, Matthew Tipton, who is expected to sit out the game at the Gundadalur Stadium.
He will join a growing list of injury victims including goalkeeper, Alan Blayney, defender, Albert Watson, and midfield pair, Michael Gault and Philip Lowry. Veteran defender William Murphy will also miss the trip to the Faroe Islands due to holiday arrangements.
The Blues are still heavily fancied to make it through to face AEL Limassol in the next round but manager David Jeffrey’s is taken nothing for granted as he prepares to face B36 on their home 3G turf.
"We have had a good session this evening and you will know that I am not a fan of these 3G pitches but this one is extremely quick. The players are going to have to display a very good first touch and we have practised a lot of passing and crossing and getting used to the ball coming quickly off the surface. I have got to say that the players have applied themselves very well and they look very comfortable on the surface.
B36 TORSHAVN
Mikkja Thomassen’s side will take a lot of confidence from their hard earned draw in Belfast and will feel that they won’t get a better chance to add to their solitary Champions League qualifying victory, achieved over Birkirkara FC of Malta in the 2006/07 campaign.
They did have goalkeeper Meinhardt Joensen to thank for some outstanding saves in Windsor Park, including a first half penalty save from Peter Thompson, but did show some attacking threat themselves.
Faroe Island internationals Jakup Borg and Suni Olesen, ably assisted by Polish import, Lukasc Cieslewicz, caused the Linfield defence on quite a few occasions and the with home advantage this result is far from a foregone conclusion.
Referee: Suren Baliyan (Armenia)
MATCH STATS
In 2005/06 B36 reached the second round of the UEFA cup when they defeated IBV Vestmannaeyar of Iceland 3-2 on aggregate.
B36’s only appearance in the second qualifying round of the Champions league resulted in them being eliminated by Turkish giants, Fenerbache, losing both games 4-0 and 5-0.
Although losing against Dynamo Tbilisi of Georgia in the 93/94 Champions league, Linfield were reinstated when their opponents were expelled for alleged match-fixing and paying officials.
BETTING
B36 Torshavn 3/1 Draw 5/2 Linfield 9/10
PREDICTION
B36 Torshavn 1-2 Linfield
Linfield Injury News: Matthew Tipton, Albert Watson, Phillip Lowry, Michael Gault, Alan Blayney. William Murphy is also ruled out through family commitments.
Linfield Suspension News: None
B36 Torshavn Injury News: None
B36 Torshavn Suspension News: None
