- Team form: Sabah FK's home form is mixed with 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats from their last 5 home games.
- Away form: TNS are on a 5-game winning streak in away matches in all competitions.
- Overall form: Sabah have been solid rather than spectacular with 7 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats from their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Azerbaijan side will look to press The New Saints
Tactical outlook
Sabah FK will look to put pressure on a New Saints side that will likely sit in a disciplined shape and look to counterattack when they can in their 2026 UEFA Champions League qualifier on Tuesday. Both teams employ the 4-2-3-1 system, so it should be the battle of the double-pivots and the #10 zone that decides which team controls the matchup.
Match odds
Sabah should have the majority of the ball, but the odds make it seem as if they have to win at 1.31 with TNS 9.1 and the draw at 4.73. The Welsh champions are a strong enough outfit to take something from this game, particularly given their form and the fact that they will be the sharper of the two teams on Tuesday.
Managers' approaches
Valdas Dambrauskas wants his men to play an attractive, front-foot style, which looks to suit the players they have at their disposal with the wingers and number 10s better suited to a possession-based approach. Craig Harrison has got The New Saints to play in a way that suits them and the players they have since taking charge in 2022, often making them tough to break down and deadly on the counterattack when they can.
TNS to give a good account
They are unbeaten in 5 on the road with 5 wins, scoring 11 goals and not being troubled on their travels at all during that run.
Daniel Williams is their danger man, with 4 goals in the last 5 games for The New Saints, but this side has a real finishing touch right now and can get the job done when they have to.
The New Saints will likely keep this very compact and look to nick a goal, so Under 2.5 goals at 1.89 could be the play here, but Sabah's win is the obvious selection in the result bet, although TNS can get a draw.
- Sabah come into this game having won three of their last five matches and lost two, but they have been far from flawless as they had to grind out a 2-1 away win against PFK Turan Tovuz in the previous round after losing back-to-back home games.
- Their home form, overall, has been a bit shaky with just 1 win in their last 3 games there and they will need to start this one a lot sharper to avoid being rattled.
- The New Saints are flying into this one with 4 wins from their last 5, with a current 3-game winning sequence, and they have been particularly ruthless away from home.
