Urartu vs. Zrinjski Mostar (Tuesday, 4.00pm)
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Urartu face off against Zrinski Mostar at Urartu Stadium on Tuesday evening, in the first round of qualification for the 2023-24 Champions League.
The hosts have managed to reach this stage of the competition for what is the second time, while the visitors have played in seven qualification campaigns previously, but they have never made it past the first round.
We say: Urartu 0-1 Zrinjski Mostar
Zrinjski Mostar have more experience in the competition, pushing Sheriff Tiraspol all the way last season, while they were also much more dominant than their opponents in their domestic league.
As such, we expect the Bosnian side to emerge as narrow victors, taking a slender advantage into the second leg in a week's time.
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Lincoln vs. Qarabag (Tuesday, 4.30pm)
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Azerbaijani giants Qarabag FK make the long trek to the Victoria Stadium in Gibraltar for the first leg of their Champions League first-round qualifying tie with Lincoln Red Imps on Tuesday afternoon.
The winners of this tie will meet either Rakow Czestochowa or Flora in the second round, while the losers will receive a bye into the third round of qualifying for the Europa Conference League.
We say: Lincoln Red Imps 0-2 Qarabag FK
Qarabag have never been eliminated from the first round of Champions League qualifying before, and the Azerbaijan Premier League champions should take the first step towards avoiding that fate on Tuesday.
Both sides demonstrated their attacking proficiency throughout their most recent domestic campaigns, but the visitors' European pedigree is far greater, and Qurbanov's side should put one foot in the second round before the return leg in Baku on July 19.
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Zalgiris vs. Struga (Tuesday, 5.00pm)
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FK Zalgiris and Struga will get their Champions League qualification campaign underway when they meet at the LFF Stadium in the first round on Tuesday night.
The hosts managed to reach the third qualifying round last season, before losing to Bodo/Glimt, while the visitors have never managed to qualify for the competition before.
We say: FK Zalgiris 2-0 Struga
Zalgiris are the much more experienced side in Europe, having managed to reach the third round of qualifying last season, comfortably managing to dispatch of Swedish side Malmo in the process.
The Lithuanian side's experience, coupled with Struga's recent dip in form, indicates that the hosts should be able to record a relatively straightforward victory.
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Ljubljana vs. Valmiera (Tuesday, 7.00pm)
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NK Olimpija Ljubljana take on Valmiera at Stadion Stozice on Tuesday evening, in the first round of qualification for the Champions League.
The hosts are playing in the competition for the fifth time, having last made it to this stage in 2018-19, with the visitors embarking on their first-ever campaign in Europe's elite competition.
We say: NK Olimpija Ljubljana 2-0 Valmiera
NK Olimpija Ljubljana have much more experience in the Champions League, while they also come into the game fresh off the back of a fantastic title-winning season and some solid performances in friendly matches.
As such, we expect the Slovenian side to record a comfortable victory against a Valmiera side who are currently struggling in their domestic league.
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Rakow vs. Flora (Tuesday, 7.00pm)
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Both aiming to become one of six sides to reach the Champions League group stages through qualifying, Rakow Czestochowa and Flora kick off their first-round tie on Tuesday.
The Polish champions will welcome their Estonian counterparts to Rakow's Miejski Stadion Pilkarski, ahead of the return in Tallinn next week.
We say: Rakow Czestochowa 2-1 Flora
Rakow have risen through the ranks in Polish football and their next step is making an impact on the continental stage. While they should have too much firepower for Flora on Tuesday, a lack of match-fitness could prove a limiting factor, so it may be only a slim advantage they take to Tallinn next week.
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Hamrun Spartans vs. Maccabi Haifa (Tuesday, 7.00pm)
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Taking part in their first-ever Champions League match since the competition's rebranding, Maltese champions Hamrun Spartans host Israeli powerhouses Maccabi Haifa at the Centenary Stadium on Tuesday, in the first leg of their first-round qualifying tie.
Either Farul Constanta or Sheriff Tiraspol will await the victors of this battle in round two, while a spot in the Europa Conference League second qualifying round will be the losers' consolation prize.
We say: Hamrun Spartans 0-3 Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa may be moving forward without last year's Champions League hero Atzili, but the likes of Tjaronn Chery can continue to shine for the Greens on the continental stage, and we can only envisage one outcome in this match.
Hamrun Spartans' defensive discipline in the Maltese division last term was admirable, but they should endure a harsh welcome back to life in the big time as Maccabi Haifa stroll to a convincing win ahead of the second leg on July 18.
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KF Ballkani vs. Ludogorets (Tuesday, 7.45pm)
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Ultimately seeking a spot in the Champions League group stage, KF Ballkani and Ludogorets Razgrad kick off their first-round qualifying tie on Tuesday.
The Kosovan champions will welcome their Bulgarian counterparts to Pristina City Stadium, ahead of the second leg in Razgrad next week.
We say: KF Ballkani 1-2 Ludogorets Razgrad
In recent years, Ballkani have punched above their weight, but Ludogorets will provide a particularly stern test due to their depth of European experience. As pre-season appears to have gone well, the Bulgarian champions can therefore return home with a lead before next week's return in Razgrad.
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Shamrock vs. Breidablik (Tuesday, 7.45pm)
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Shamrock Rovers will kick off their Champions League campaign when they welcome Icelandic side Breidablik to Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday night in the first qualifying round.
The Hoops earned their place in UEFA's elite club competition after winning the 2022 League of Ireland, while Breidablik were champions in their respective league last year.
We say: Shamrock Rovers 1-0 Breidablik
Shamrock are experiencing a mini-wobble in the League of Ireland but will be confident of putting recent struggles behind them with a victory over Breidablik in the first leg.
Blikar have demolished opponents from San Marino and Montenegro to make the first qualifying round, and we envisage the visitors struggling to cope with the step up in quality in Dublin.
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KI vs. Ferencvaros (Tuesday, 7.45pm)
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Amid a sensational streak of domestic form, Faroe Islands champions KI Klaksvik host Hungarian giants Ferencvaros in the first leg of their Champions League first-round qualifying clash on Tuesday.
Both sides are bidding to set up a second-round affair with either BK Hacken or The New Saints, while the losers will be demoted to the Europa Conference League Champions Path second qualifying round.
We say: KI Klaksvik 0-2 Ferencvaros
It may take some time for all of Ferencvaros' new faces to gel fully, but following last year's marked improvement on the European stage, the visitors should start as they mean to go on.
KI may be the undisputed top dogs in the Faroe Islands, but we cannot see any way for Hoseth's side to pull off a shock result here, as Ferencvaros head into the second leg on July 19 with a healthy advantage.
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Partizani Tirana vs. BATE (Tuesday, 7.45pm)
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Having come out top in a nail-biting Albanian title fight, Partizani Tirana host Belarusian behemoths BATE Borisov in the first leg of their Champions League first-round qualifying tie at Arena Kombetare on Tuesday night.
The victors will vie for a spot in the third round against Cypriot giants Aris Limassol, while the losers will transfer to the Europa Conference League Champions Path second qualifying round.
We say: Partizani Tirana 1-2 BATE Borisov
Hitting a rich vein of form at just the right time, a revitalised BATE Borisov side can maintain their winning sequence in Tirana, as Partizani's lack of practice is sure to catch up to them.
The visitors are noticeably lacking an in-form number nine, but Partizani would often struggle to keep the back door shut last term and will surely travel to Hungary for the second leg needing to overturn a narrow deficit.
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Ben Knapton
