Ferencvaros – Zalgiris

Hungarian champions Ferencvaros look to take one step closer to the group stage of Europe’s premier competition on Tuesday, when they meet Lithuania’s Zalgiris in Budapest. Having enjoyed a rare taste of mixing with the cream of European football last year, when they competed with Juventus, Barcelona and Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League group stage, Ferencvaros are intent on returning to the continent’s top table again this term. A 3-0 home win was followed by last week’s comfortable 3-1 success over Kosovar side Prishtina, ahead of this tie with Zalgiris and the upcoming start of their Hungarian league title defence.

The Vilnius-based club have been in action in the A Lyga since March and currently top the table once again, just two points clear of Suduva, who they will face between the two legs of this European tie. They will be without two first-choice players for the first leg, as both centre-back Diaw and midfielder Uzela were dismissed in Belfast last time out in this competition.

Though Zalgiris are on a long unbeaten run and certainly should be more match fit, Ferencvaros are a step up in class for the men from Vilnius, so their back line could be breached more than once on Tuesday.