The Icelandic team won the Champions League preliminary round final
Vikingur had never managed to get through the round in any European competition
Víkingur Reykjavík, managed by former Leicester City player Arnar Gunnlaugssonhas qualified for the first round of the Champions League after beating Andorran Inter Club Escaldes 0-1 in the final of the preliminary round of the highest European competition, that is, the final phase of the most modest champions of European countries.
The Icelandic champion, who has never made it past a round in any European competitionwon with a goal from talented Icelandic player Kristall Máni Ingason in the 68th minute. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder headed in Karl Fridleifur Gunnarsson’s right-wing cross.
The Icelanders will face the Swedish champion, Malmö, in the first round of the ‘Champions’. Meanwhile, the Andorran Inter Club Escaldes, with a former first division like Víctor Casadesús and a former second like Aridai Cabrera, will face the second round of the Conference League against the loser of the first round of the ‘Champions’ between the Armenian Pyunik and the Romanian CFR Cluj.
Víkingur Reykjavík reached the final, played at their stadium Vikingsvöllur, beating Estonian champion Levadia 6-1.
While the team from the Principality, led by the Catalan Otger Canals, contested their second consecutive preliminary round final after disposing of champions San MarinoLa Fiorita 1967, 1-2 with two goals from the Catalan Genís Soldevila.
The Icelanders dominated the match with first-half chances from their top scorer, Nikolaj Hansen. Though the best chance of the first half was from the catalan ‘Sasha’ Andreu and another from Ahmed Belhadji. In the second half, Nikolaj Hansen was able to open the scoring, but Kristall Máni Ingason’s goal sealed the ‘final’ for the European champions’ underdogs.