Shkendija vs T.N.S. Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

TNS return to competitive action ahead of the new season, and they’re out for progress in the Champions League. After topping the pile in Wales, they’re aiming to kick off a run in Europe, especially after progressing in this competition last season. Will they be able to step it up and get a result at Macedonian champions Shkendija on Tuesday night? The visitors are massive outsiders to get anything out of this first leg, and the hosts will be hoping for a result which gives them a foot in the next round.

Ultimately, it’s going to be really difficult for either of these sides to make it all the way to the group stage. We’re still pretty far away from the elite rounds of this competition, and whoever wins this clash is likely to face a tough test next time around. There are 32 sides playing in the competition at this stage – all national champions – and just four will ultimately book their place in the group stage. That includes Scottish champions Celtic, and Dutch champions PSV.

So, TNS can’t exactly expect to go all the way in the Champions League, but how are they going to fare when they head east to Macedonia? The hosts have just won their league title in incredible fashion, ending up 35 points clear of the pile, following 29 wins and just three defeats across a 36 game season. They took the title back from Vardar in incredible style, taking the trophy for the first time since 2011. However, Partizan Belgrade put an end to their Champions League hopes that year, with a 5-0 aggregate win in the opening qualifying round months later.

Shkendija will get more out of their European campaign this time around, given their impressive form in the league. They should blow away TNS, and their home form makes this an incredibly difficult trip. The hosts have scored at least twice in eight of their last nine home matches, and they’ll expect to hammer a TNS side who were thumped 7-1 over two legs by Rijeka last season.

The Welsh side will be hoping to punish a team who have yet to keep a clean sheet after three friendlies this summer, and TNS did claim a victory on the road in qualifying last term. They should offer a threat going forward, but Shkendija can blow the Welsh side out of the water here to claim their first Champions League victory. We see them racking up a 3-1 win after averaging 2.8 goals per game last season, while we’re backing over 2.5 goals as our tip here.