Tuesday evening sees the start of this season’s Champions League with the early qualifiers being played throughout July and early August, and this upcoming clash features the encounter between Hungarian side, Ferencvaros, and Kosovan outfit, Prishtina in this 1st qualifying round 1st leg.
Ferencvaros get first bite of the cherry being on home turf at their Groupama Aréna in Budapest where the hosts will be bidding to make it eight wins on the trot in all competitions which includes winning their last four league matches of last season on the trot.
➡ Ekipi ka vazhduar përgatitjet në "Rexhep Rexhepi" të Drenasit ⚽️🥅➡ Nesër mban seancën e fundit stërvitore para udhëtimit të së hënës në Budapest ✈ 🇭🇺➡ Të martën nga ora 18, Ferencvaros 🆚 Prishtina pic.twitter.com/L0heqLJxOz— FCPrishtina (@FC_Prishtina) July 3, 2021
➡ Ekipi ka vazhduar përgatitjet në "Rexhep Rexhepi" të Drenasit ⚽️🥅➡ Nesër mban seancën e fundit stërvitore para udhëtimit të së hënës në Budapest ✈ 🇭🇺➡ Të martën nga ora 18, Ferencvaros 🆚 Prishtina pic.twitter.com/L0heqLJxOz
Victories over Ujpest, Fehervar, Mezokovesd-Zsory and Honved secured the Hungarian NB 1 league title by a comprehensive 20-point margin ahead of runners-up, Puskas, and their leading goalscoring trio of Nguen, Uzuni and Boli, who plundered a total of 33 goals between them on the domestic front will be keen to transfer their success in this Champions League qualifying tie.
Ferencvaros made it through to the group stage of last season’s Champions League but ultimately it was a campaign to forget as they finished rock-bottom of Group G which consisted of the likes of Juventus, Barcelona and Dynamo Kyiv.
Nevertheless, Ferencvaros will be in confident mood of getting a result here.
Prishtina narrowly pipped runners-up, Drita, to the domestic Kosovo Superliga title by a margin of just two points in what was a desperately tight title race but their reward has been qualification into the early rounds of this season’s Champions League.
Prishtina have already played two preliminary qualifying ties in this season’s competition which saw them secure vital wins against San Marino side, Folgore, 2-0 away from home before recording another 2-0 victory over Andorra outfit, Inter Club d’Escaldes, in the previous round.
However, these have been Prishtina’s only matches to date in the Champions League as the visitors have previously been more accustomed to the early qualifying rounds of the Europa League.
With just one win from their nine ties in the Europa League though, which includes five defeats, it does appear to be a case of just a matter of time before Prishtina bow out of this season’s Champions League qualifiers.
Ferencvaros and Prishtina have never met in any competitive match before but Ferencvaros should possess too much quality over these two legs, starting with Tuesday night’s tie at the Groupama Aréna, as they look to gain a healthy 1st leg lead.