Hello, and welcome to tonight’s liveblog.
Shamrock Rovers are in Bulgaria for their champions League second qualifying round tie against local champions Ludogorets. They have collected 11 consecutive league titles and are considerably strong than opening-round opponents Hibernians.
Ludogorets are currently top of the Parva Liga with two wins from their opening two games. Just getting there proved difficult for Stephen Bradley’s outfit. With no charter flight available, Rovers travelled to Razgrad in the country’s northeast in separate groups. Some went direct, others caught connections.
The first bit of news is that the Irish champions will start with Jack Byrne, Graham Burke and Neil Farrugia all on the bench.
Kick-off at the Huvepharma Arena is at 6.45pm.
Confirmation of the Shamrock Rovers team…
🚨 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 🚨
— Shamrock Rovers FC ☘️ (@ShamrockRovers) July 19, 2022
⚫️ Lyons at LWB
⚫️ Towell in attack
⚫️ Gaffney leads the line
𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐬 ☘️#RoversInEurope pic.twitter.com/zgjTS95MSM
We’re underway!
Shamrock Rovers have started well, pressing hard and staying compact. They look content to soak up the pressure.
Ludogorets win a corner early on but Cauly Souza hits it straight to Alan Mannus.
Rory Gaffney is set for a night of hard running. He plays in front of a flat middle four. The striker will have to make the most of limited service.
Another corner for the home side. This time, the delivery doesn’t even land in the box. Nine minutes gone so far.
Reminder: Rovers have a couple of safety nets beneath this tie: they are guaranteed another two European ties regardless of this outcome, first in the qualifiers of the Europa League and then the Conference League.
Gaffney breaks down the left at one end but can’t find anyone with a cross. The home side get back on the front foot with a Cauly Souza shot meekly reaching Mannus.
A minute later, another Souza corner goes high and wide.
16 minutes: So far, so good. Richie Towell has been impressive so far. Covering well defensively and smart on the ball.
Brazilian Rick is starting to find joy down the left. Lopes does well to get across and deal with the danger.
23 minutes: Gaffney battling superbly up top. Holding up the ball, winning frees, frustrating defenders. The crowd jeer as he wins another free from a long ball. Stephen Bradley will be happy so far.
26 minutes: Disaster. Cauly Souza crosses and finds Pieros Sotiriou who scores with a lovely header. Seán Hoare is caught on the wrong side and the keeper has no chance. Ludogorets 1 Shamrock Rovers 0
Their tails are up now. Shamrock Rovers need to dig in. Dylan Watts gets on the ball and tries to keep possession. It is a serious struggle to advance up the field, however.
33 minutes: Sideways, over and back along the halfway line. It is proving difficult to break down Ludogorets. At some point, we are likely to see Burke and Byrne come on and help break this down.
Here is that first-half goal.
Ludogorets 1-0 Shamrock Rovers - Pieros Sotiriou gets ahead of Sean Hoare to head the lead goal past a stranded Alan Mannus after 25 minutes
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 19, 2022
💻 https://t.co/zjbfbjUDzQ
📺 https://t.co/JYf06csaIG pic.twitter.com/vc1uL3aHzp
GOAL! Ludogorets 2 Shamrock Rovers 0
A different level of quality. Sotiriou scores his second. A terrific spin in the box gets away from Gary O’Neill. Shamrock Rovers desperately need the half-time whistle.
Lee Grace did well to clear the initial Tekpetey effort off the line. Nevertheless, Sotiriou was ready to pounce on the rebound. He scores a third minutes later but it is ruled out for offside. Suddenly, Bradley’s side are looking at a long night.
41 minutes: Danger here… A backpost cross finds Sotiriou and the ball crashes off the post. The striker claims handball. No joy and no hat-trick, yet.
Attack after attack for the home side. Mannus pulls off a spectacular save to deny a curling Cauly effort. Right hand, full stretch tips over the bar. This is becoming increasingly one-sided.
The referee blows for half-time. After a bright start, Rovers faded badly. Their highlight of the half was that superb Mannus save. The Bulgarians have been brilliant.
Here is that Mannus save.
Alan Mannus makes a super save to prevent the situation worsening further for Shamrock Rovers before the break in Bulgaria - Ludogorets lead 2-0 at half-time
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 19, 2022
💻 https://t.co/zjbfbjUDzQ
📺 https://t.co/JYf06csaIG pic.twitter.com/rv3xgynVDy
The second half of the first leg kicks off.
47 minutes: A yellow card for Gaffney after a handoff. Frustrating as Shamrock Rovers had worked a rare promising attack.
53 minutes: This is better. Rovers trying to work something down the right-hand side. Towell breaks forward and his run is checked. A free kick in a really promising position to come…
54 minutes: That is poor. Watts fails to beat the wall. Goalkeeper Padt has had very little to do so far.
This is one card happy referee. The third of the evening, a second for the home side. Rick goes into the book.
Shamrock Rovers protest after being denied a corner. Now Towell picks up a card. Ludogorets have not conceded a goal so far this season in Europe or the league. That streak does not look likely to end tonight.
60 minutes: Watts makes way for Graham Burke
A huge Hoare block denies a third. Burke has been lively since coming on.
70 minutes: Given how it looked at one stage in the first half, bringing a two-goal deficit back to Tallaght would be tolerable. A huge 20 minutes in store.
Ludogorets start to make some changes. 2018 Bulgarian Footballer of the Year Kiril Despodov comes on.
Graham Burke is at home on this stage. Sets Andy Lyons down the wing, who wins a corner.
77 minutes: Ludogorets sitting back now. Sean Gannon comes on for Finn, Seán Kavanagh is also introduced.
This second-half showing will give the Irish side more hope going into the second leg. Remains 2-0.
Gaffney has put in a big shift. Kept going without ever getting a proper chance.
82 minutes: Burke goes close! From a tight angle, he shoots and forces a corner. The 28-year-old has been superb since his introduction.
Cicinho fouls on the edge of the box. A yellow and free-kick is the result. Great chance here…
87 minutes: Graham Burke standing over it. Both sides throw shapes and exchange words to delay the free. Finally, he lines it up.
It tips the wall and goes out for a corner. Lopes fouls, free out.
Four minutes of added time.
92 minutes: Mannus again with a big save. He has not had much to do in the second half, but a mix-up between Burke and O’Neill sees Ludogorets break and Santana strike a low effort. They can’t concede now.
GOAL! Ludogorets 3 Shamrock Rovers 0
That is a killer. Hoare is furious as the last kick of the game ends in a third goal. Sloppy play once again results in a beautiful cross. Mannus looked to save Shamrock Rovers again but Igor Thiago was primed to deliver a huge blow.
In hindsight, Lee Grace would have been so much better off clearing his lines there. It was Delev who tested Mannus first, before the ball broke kindly for Igor Thiago. A tough journey home after a disappointing finish.
That’s it for the liveblog, folks. Keep an eye on The42.ie for a full match report and reaction.
Full-time score: Ludogorets Razgrad 3, Shamrock Rovers 0.
