Lincoln Red Imps will head to North Macedonia for first leg of Champions League
Lincoln Red Imps have been drawn against North Macedonia league champions Shkupi for the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.
The Gibraltar league champions will face the Macedonian league champions away from home in the first leg, with the return leg to be played at the Victoria Stadium.
The 2022/23 UEFA Champions League first qualifying round draw ceremony took place today Tuesday 14 June, at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
The draw featured 29 teams entering this round (the champions of the associations ranked 22 to 51 according to their association club coefficient, except Liechtenstein), and one preliminary round winner.
The first qualifying round winners advance to the second qualifying round. Defeated teams transfer to the UEFA Europa Conference League Champions Path second qualifying round.
Lincoln Red Imps players, some of whom played for Gibraltar this weekend against North Macedonia will be used to the trip to Macedonia, this not being the first time a Gibraltar players face North Macedonia opposition. Gibraltar having met at international level several times already.
The recent defeat in the Nations League will be an added incentive for Gibraltar players who will be looking at trying to repeat last years success which saw them go into the second round of the Champions League and finally end in the group stages of the Europa Conference League.
What are the key qualifying dates?
15 June: Second qualifying round draw
21 June: Preliminary round semi-finals
24 June: Preliminary round final
5/6 July: First qualifying round first legs
12/13 July: First qualifying round second legs
18 July: Third qualifying round draw
19/20 July: Second qualifying round first legs
26/27 July: Second qualifying round second legs
2 August: Play-off round draw
2/3 August: Third qualifying round first legs
9 August: Third qualifying round second legs
16/17 August: Play-off round first legs
23/24 August: Play-off round second legs
First round matches will be
Pyunik (ARM) vs CFR Cluj (ROU)
Maribor (SVN) vs Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR) *
Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) vs Sutjeska Nikšić (MNE)
Diddeleng (LUX) vs Tirana (ALB)
Tobol (KAZ) vs Ferencváros (HUN)
Malmö (SWE) vs Preliminary round winners
Ballkani (KOS) vs Žalgiris (LIT)
HJK (FIN) vs RFS (LVA) *
Bodø/Glimt (NOR) vs KÍ (FRO)
The New Saints (WAL) vs Linfield (NIR)
Shamrock Rovers (IRL) vs Hibernians (MLT)
Lech Poznań (POL) vs Qarabağ (AZE)
Shkupi (MKD) vs Lincoln Red Imps (GIB)
Zrinjski (BIH) vs Sheriff (MDA)
Slovan Bratislava (SVK) vs Dinamo Batumi (GEO)
