The New Saints are back in UEFA Conference League action on Thursday night as they host Swedish side Djurgarden at New Meadow on Matchday 4 of the League Phase.
Craig Harrison’s side will be hoping to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat away at Shamrock Rovers three weeks ago, which left them on three points from three games and 24th in the League Phase table – just inside the knockout phase play-off spots on goal difference.
Djurgarden are one point better off in 16th place after picking up their first victory of the League Phase on Matchday 3 – a 2-1 home win over Panathinaikos, who travel to TNS in a fortnight. That followed a 2-2 draw for the Swedish side against LASK and a 2-1 defeat to Vitoria.
European Cup quarter-finalists in the mid 1950s, Djurgarden are 12-time champions of Sweden’s top-flight – most recently in 2019. Their 2024 league season finished earlier this month, with Djurgarden finishing in fourth place for the second consecutive campaign. Roberth Björknesjö is interim manager until the end of the year after a six-year spell in charge for duo Kim Bergstrand and Thomas Lagerlöf came to an end in October.
Turkish striker Deniz Hümmet is the key attacking threat after scoring 14 league goals in 2024, while 21-year-old Norwegian Tobias Gulliksen is highly rated and scored in the win over Panathinaikos three weeks ago. Finnish internationals Rasmus Schüller and Miro Tenho both played against Cymru in the UEFA EURO 2024 play-off semi-final earlier this year.
TNS head into Thursday’s contest following a 3-2 comeback win against JD Cymru Premier title rivals Penybont last weekend, while the big games just keep coming for Craig Harrison’s side as they travel to Barry Town United in the Nathaniel MG Cup semi-final on Sunday evening.
The Saints have won 11 of their last 13 matches in all competitions, but have not kept a clean sheet in their last nine games since their European victory over Astana on 10 October.
It will be interesting to see Harrison’s team selection for Thursday night, with Sunday’s cup semi-final likely in the back of his mind. Jack Bodenham and Leo Smith have been ever presents in the UEFA Conference League this season but played no part in last weekend’s league win over Penybont, so they should return to the starting lineup at New Meadow. In-form full-back Ash Baker will be hopeful of a first appearance in the League Phase, having remained on the bench for the first three matches.
“Every [European] game we’ve gone into, we haven’t been the favourites,” Craig Harrison said this week. “So from that point of view, I’m really pleased with how the lads have performed. We’ve had three really good performances. I was a little bit disappointed against Shamrock because I don’t think we showed our best, but apart from that we’ve done really well.
“We’re playing against some really good teams and really good players. So we’re going to have to be very, very good, get a little bit of luck, score some excellent goals and every player be an eight, eight and a half out of ten for us to get positive results. But we’ve proved that’s not impossible. When the lads are at it, we can compete with anyone.”
Watch The New Saints v Djurgarden live on TNT Sports 4 from 5:30pm on Thursday evening, with kick-off at 5:45pm.
