Motherwell Draws Havnar Boltfelag in Conference League Qualifier

Motherwell has been drawn against Havnar Boltfelag (HB) of the Faroe Islands for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League. The draw, which took place on Wednesday, sees the Scottish club as an unseeded participant.

The first leg of the tie is scheduled for July 23, with Motherwell hosting the match at Fir Park. The return leg will be played the following midweek at the 5,000-capacity Gundadalur stadium in Torshavn, Faroe Islands.

Havnar Boltfelag qualified for the competition as the Faroe Islands Premier League runners-up for 2025, finishing nine points behind Klaksvikar Itrottarfelag. They are currently positioned sixth in their domestic league after 13 games of the ongoing season.

The Faroese club has experienced an improvement in its footballing standards since Motherwell last faced them in the 1994 UEFA Cup, a tie Motherwell won 7-1 on aggregate. While Havnar Boltfelag has lost in their opening Conference League qualifier for four consecutive seasons, these defeats were often narrow, including against teams like Brondby, Hajduk Split, Derry City, and Newtown of Wales.

Notably, Havnar Boltfelag achieved a significant European success in 2021, defeating Montenegro's Buducnost Podgorica 6-0 on aggregate before being eliminated by Maccabi Haifa in the play-off round. Motherwell, for its part, was eliminated at the same stage in their last European campaign four years ago, losing home and away to Irish side Sligo Rovers. The incoming Motherwell manager, who will succeed Jens Berthel Askou, will likely be confident of progression, but there is an understanding that complacency must be avoided against an opponent midway through their domestic season.

According to Yahoo Sports Soccer, Motherwell should be pleased with the draw.