Naxxar Lions to face Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps in the UEFA Youth League

Naxxar Lions were drawn to face Gibraltar side Lincoln Red Imps in the first round of the UEFA Youth League, as the draw of the European competition were held on Monday.

The Lions have earned the right to compete in the UEFA competition after they were crowned as the MFA’s Youth League champions last season.

The Maltese side were handed a relatively favourable draw as they face opponents from Gibraltar in the form of Lincoln Red Imps.

The Lions will be looking to emulate Valletta FC’s run last season, as the Citizens, who were the first Maltese team to compete in the competition following a change of regulations by UEFA, had managed to knock out Finnish side Honka Espoo.

The Citizens were eventually eliminated by the French side AJ Auxerre in the second round.

The first leg will be played at the Centenary Stadium on September 17, with the return leg scheduled to be played in Gibraltar on October 1.

Ironically, for Lincoln Red Imps this draw has pitted them with a Maltese team for the second time in the space of a few days.

This is because the senior team will also be facing Malta champions Ħamrun Spartans in the League Phase of the UEFA Conference League. The match is scheduled to be played at the National Stadium on November 27.

Should the Maltese side manage to secure a place in the second round of the competition, they will be up against the Dutch side AZ Alkmaar. Here, the first leg of the tie will be played in the Netherlands, with the second leg scheduled in Malta.