Lincoln Red Imps Secure 3-2 Away Win Over Víkingur in Champions League Qualifier First Leg

Lincoln Red Imps earned an impressive 3-2 away victory against Faroese champions Víkingur in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League First Qualifying Round tie on Tuesday evening.

The match began at a high tempo, with both sides showing early attacking intent. Víkingur threatened first through Johansen and Vatnhamar, but it was Lincoln who struck the opener in the 19th minute. A well-placed Bernardo Lopes, following a corner and assist from Tjay De Barr, put the visitors ahead.

Lincoln doubled their lead in the 31st minute — once again through Lopes — from a Toni set-piece. Just two minutes later, Víkingur halved the deficit with a goal from Jakup Johansen, assisted by Olsen.

Lincoln, however, responded swiftly. In the 38th minute, De Barr restored their two-goal cushion with a composed finish to make it 3-1. The first half wasn’t done yet — in added time, Sølvi Vatnhamar found the net for Víkingur (45+4’) to pull the score back to 3-2 by the break in a breathless opening 45 minutes.

The second half saw fewer goals but no shortage of intensity. Both teams made a string of substitutions in an effort to control the pace, but Lincoln maintained composure and saw out the match with determined defending and key saves from goalkeeper Santana.

Víkingur’s hopes of a comeback took a major blow in the 82nd minute when substitute Olaf Bárðarson was shown a red card for a foul on Toni. The Faroese side tried to press in the closing minutes, with Vatnhamar testing Santana again, but Lincoln stood firm.

Lincoln’s attack was driven by the lively De Barr and the creativity of Toni, while Bernardo Lopes proved decisive at both ends of the pitch, scoring twice and anchoring the defence.

The 3-2 victory puts Lincoln Red Imps in a strong position heading into the second leg, which will be played next week in Gibraltar. With three crucial away goals, they hold the advantage but will need to stay sharp against a Víkingur side that showed plenty of fight.