After losing 1-0 on aggregate against Petrocub Hîncești in the third qualifying round of the Europa League, The New Saints have one more chance to reach one of Europe’s top competitions as a win against Lithuanian champions Panevėžys would secure the Saints’ place in the 2024/25 UEFA Conference League.
Panevėžys (Lithuania) v The New Saints | Thursday, 22 August – 17:30 (Live online)
(Park Hall, Oswestry – First Leg of UEFA Conference League Play-off Round 2024/25)
The New Saints have reached the final qualifying round of Europe for the second time in their history, and for the first time since 2010, and the club is aiming to reach one of Europe’s main competitions for the first time ever.
If the Saints were to win this round against the reigning Lithuanian champions, then the Oswestry outift would be the first team from the Welsh pyramid to reach one of Europe’s main competitions since Barry Town United featured in the UEFA Cup first round in 1996.
The New Saints have played six games (three rounds) in Europe this year, and despite winning only one of those six matches (3-0 vs FK Dečić), the Saints are close to creating history.
The Saints won 4-1 over two legs against Montenegrin champions FK Dečić in the first qualifying round of this year’s Champions League, before losing against Ferencváros and Petrocub Hîncești in the following two rounds.
Lithuanian champions Panevėžys are the only ones standing between the Saints and the heights of the UEFA Conference League, and Craig Harrison’s squad will have no better chance to put their names in the history books.
Although Panevėžys were crowned champions of Lithuania for the first time ever at the end of A Lyga 2023, results have declined significantly since then, and the team are now bottom of their league after 24 games in the current season.
The club have only won one of their last 11 games, and they face the realistic possibility of dropping into the second tier in Lithuania.
Panevėžys is a new club that was formed less than a decade ago in 2015, and after rising to the premier league in 2019 the team have played consistently in Europe since 2021 (eight rounds in Europe, winning twice).
There are several experienced names among the squad, including Kaspars Dubra (62 caps, 3 goals for Latvia) and ex-Ajax and Real Sociedad player, Jeffrey Sarpong.
Panevėžys won 4-1 over two legs against HJK Helsinki in Europe this season, before losing heavily against Jagiellonia Białystok, and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Since 1996 the New Saints have played 84 games in Europe winning 18 of those (21%), and in 43 European rounds the club have progressed on 10 occasions (23%).
Their best run came in the 2010/11 season – despite winning only one round that season (against Bohemians in the second qualifying round of the Champions League), before losing against Anderlecht, the Saints had a play-off to reach the League Europa.
But after losing 5-2 over two legs against CSKA Sofia, the Saints continue to dream of reaching the main competition for the first time ever.
