Champions League: Preview of the Match “Noah” vs “Budućnost” in Abovyan

On July 8 at 20:00 Yerevan time, the first qualifying round match of the UEFA Champions League will take place in the city of Abovyan: FC Noah (Armenia) vs Budućnost (Montenegro).

Match Information

• Kick-off time: 20:00 (Yerevan time)

• Venue: Abovyan City Stadium (capacity — 3,500 spectators)

• Referee: Volen Chinkov (Bulgaria)

• VAR: Main video assistant — Nikola Popov (Bulgaria)

• Broadcast: In Armenia, the match will be shown on Public Television of Armenia (H1). It will also be streamed on our Telegram channel.

The Favorite

According to bookmakers, FC Noah is the clear favorite for the upcoming encounter. The odds for a home victory are around 1.3, while Budućnost’s success is rated above 8.1.

European Experience

Budućnost are seven-time champions of Montenegro. This will be their seventh participation in the Champions League qualifiers. However, the Podgorica-based side has never made it past the first qualifying round of the UCL. They have had more success in Europa League and Conference League qualifiers, with their best European performance being the third qualifying round of the Europa League in 2010 and 2020.

Last season, Budućnost competed in the Conference League: they defeated Kosovo’s Malisheva in the first round but then lost in extra time to Bulgaria’s CSKA 1948.

Noah, on the other hand, won the Armenian Premier League for the first time in club history and will make their Champions League debut. Last season, they advanced through all four qualifying rounds of the Conference League and reached the group stage. Under Croatian head coach Sandro Perković, the team is aiming even higher this year.

Coaching Changes

Both teams have undergone coaching changes this summer despite their champion titles.

At Noah, Rui Mota stepped down voluntarily to join Bulgarian side Ludogorets. He was replaced by Sandro Perković, who had worked as an assistant to Fabio Cannavaro at Dinamo Zagreb and served as interim head coach at the end of the season. Noah’s entire coaching staff was renewed alongside Perković’s appointment.

At Budućnost, previous coach Ivan Brnović left during pre-season. He was replaced by 47-year-old Serbian specialist Nenad Lalatović, known for his stints at Čukarički and Vojvodina. The rest of the coaching staff remained in place.

Coach’s Words

“In Noah, our goals are always the highest, but we must move step by step. Right now, our full focus is on the first match against Budućnost. The Champions League is the greatest tournament in world football. We must prepare well for tomorrow’s game, and I’m confident we are ready,” said Sandro Perković.

Summer Transfers

Noah — Reinforcements:

• Takuto Oshima (€500k from Universitatea Craiova, Romania; TM value — €1.2m)

• Hovhannes Harutyunyan (€200k, Armenian national team midfielder; TM — €350k)

• Free agents: Croatian wingers Miloš Jakoliš (TM — €1m) and Alen Grgić (€600k)

• Full-backs: Eric Boakye (€700k) and David Sualehe (€300k)

Departures:

• Bruno Almeida (loan ended; 4 goals, 8 assists)

• Eraldo Çinari (16 goals, 10 assists)

Budućnost — Additions:

• Leonel Strumia, 32-year-old Argentine from AEL (Cyprus)

• Milan Vusurović, 30-year-old winger

• Miomir Đurčković, 27-year-old defender from the Uzbekistan league

Departures:

• Andrej Kostić — transferred to Partizan (Belgrade) for €900k

• Andrija Bulatović — moved to Lens (France) for €2m

Bulatović scored against Armenia in a friendly on June 9, 2025 (2–2)

Despite some losses, Budućnost retained their core of experienced Montenegrin players.

Squad Overview: Budućnost

We’ve already assessed Noah’s squad in a previous article. Now let’s focus on the Montenegrin side.

Current Montenegro international:

• Ognjen Gašević, 23 years old (2 caps) — did not play against Armenia in June, but previously featured twice vs Armenia U21 (0–0 and 1–0 in 2023 and 2024).

Previously capped players:

• Milan Mijatović — goalkeeper (40 caps)

• Igor Ivanović — winger (11 caps)

• Petar Grbić — winger (7 caps)

• Luka Marković — midfielder (4 caps)

• Vladan Adžić and Dragan Grivić — defenders (1 cap each)

Key Attributes

The team is physically dominant, featuring many tall players (187 cm and above).
In attack and midfield:

• Ivan Bulatović (190 cm)

• Petar Grbić (188 cm)

• Ivan Bojović (189 cm)

• Nedeljko Piščević (191 cm)
  All central defenders are also around 190 cm tall.
  By contrast, only three of Noah’s central defenders — including newcomer Alen Grgić — are over 185 cm.

Conclusion: Set-pieces and aerial duels could be Budućnost’s best chance.

Most valuable player: Ognjen Gašević (€500k)
Leader: 36-year-old captain Petar Grbić — formerly with Olympiacos, Partizan, and clubs in the Turkish Super Lig (peak TM value — €1m)

Budućnost is renowned for producing promising youth talents who are sold early. Notable recent sales include:

• Vasilije Adžić to Juventus for €5.3m

• Andrija Bulatović to Lens for €2m

• Andrej Kostić to Partizan for €900k

This tradition may continue in the match against Noah. Look out for:

• Lazar Savović, 17-year-old midfielder (25 games, 3 goals, 1 assist last season)

• Andrej Camaj, 19-year-old winger (10 games, 3 goals)

Probable Lineups

Sandro Perković may not start all new signings at once.

Noah:
Ognen Čančarević — Hovhannes Hambardzumyan, Nermin Zolotić, Gonçalo Silva, David Sualehe — Takuto Oshima, Yan Eteki — Imran Oulad Omar, Hélder Ferreira, Virgile Pinson — Gonçalo Gregório

Budućnost:
Milan Mijatović — Dragan Grivić, Adnan Orahovac, Ilya Serikov, Ognjen Gašević — Nedeljko Piščević, Leonel Strumia — Ivan Bojović, Petar Grbić, Marko Miricković — Ivan Bulatović

As this will be the first official match for both new coaches, predicting tactical setups is difficult — which only adds to the intrigue of this matchup.