A fortnight after shocking Qatar in a pre-season friendly in Spain, David Healy’s Linfield are bracing themselves for a testing night against The New Saints in Oswestry. The Blues’ recent 1-0 win over this year’s World Cup hosts in a bounce game at the Marbella Football Centre went viral and sparked headlines across the globe.
But two weeks later the Big Two giants are fully focused on their first competitive fixture of the season in the first qualifying round of the Champions League.
“It was a friendly game against Qatar and you’re not going to come away screaming, kicking or moaning either way if you win or lose,” said Healy. “But it was a really good game for us in a testing heat in Spain and it was a great pre-season workout which has helped us prepare for Europe.
Read more: St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson "shocked" that David Healy is still an Irish League manager
“We did a lot of double sessions and a lot of hard work in Spain and credit to the players, they bought into it. It was a great trip and a really worthwhile exercise.”
While Healy views Linfield’s two-legged showdown with TNS as winnable, recent history tells him the Welsh champions will be a tough nut to crack. Anthony Limbrick’s men beat Glentoran 3-1 on aggregate en route to the third qualifying round of last year’s Europa Conference League.
They also have a wealth of experience and attacking threats at their disposal, including former Irish League winger Josh Daniels who joined them last week.
“TNS have a young and enthusiastic manager who has done really well since he came in and a lot of experienced players,” said Healy. “They have the likes of Ryan Brobbel who played for Northern Ireland U21s quite a few years ago.
"He’s got good numbers for goals and assists. They also have Josh Daniels and Declan McManus, who plays through the middle and was previously at the likes of Aberdeen and Fleetwood Town.
“Am I cautious? With my mentality, yeah, but I don’t want the players to be cautious.
"I want them to firmly believe we can be fitter and stronger over the two legs. If we play to our capabilities, we can win.
"Having said that, TNS will also think we are beatable and they have players who can punish you.”
Eetu Vertainen, who recently rejoined Linfield on loan from St Johnstone, is unavailable for tonight’s game, with the return leg in Belfast next Wednesday.
Betting odds
- TNS 5/6
- Linfield 11/4
- Draw 12/5
Odds from McLean Bookmakers
Belfast Live prediction
Under 2.5 goals (4/5 - McLean Bookmakers).
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