SHELBOURNE ARE ON their travels today as Joey O’Brien’s side head for the Netherlands to face Troy Parrott’s AZ Alkmaar tomorrow.
For Stephen Bradley and Shamrock Rovers, anticipation is building ahead of the visit of Shakhtar Donetsk. Just shy of 8,500 tickets are sold so far as the Double winners aim to keep their European adventure going into the New Year.
The two League of Ireland clubs have one point from their opening three Uefa Conference League games, while Shels are one place above their Dublin rivals due to a better goal difference.
Three weeks on from their last European game, here’s a refresher on how things stand for both sides.
Last time out
Emotions could hardly have been more contrasting back on 6 November.
Rovers went to AEK Athens on the back of defeats to Sparta Prague and Celje. A Graham Burke penalty gave them a 1-0 lead and just when it looked like that would be enough for a famous win in Greece, AEK were awarded a penalty of their own on 90 minutes to earn a point.
Advertisement
Later that evening Shels welcomed Drita to Tallaght Stadium. After a goalless opening 15 minutes it was clear O’Brien’s side were on top before James Norris was sent off for a reckless tackle.
The hosts still had a glorious chance to take the lead through Mipo Odubeko but they were dealt a sucker blow in the second half when two deflections gifted Drita the only goal of the game.
Following on from the concession of a late goal in North Macedonia, having drawn with Hacken on matchday one, you got the feeling nothing would go their way.
What’s in store?
Parrott’s heroics for Ireland against Portugal and Hungary add a different dimension to this tie for Shels. Given how they have been the architects of their own misfortune so far in this campaign, they will have to be pitch perfect to take anything from Alkmaar.
The Dutch side are third in the Eredivisie but have also been punished defensively in recent weeks with a 3-1 defeat to Heerenveen on Sunday and a 5-1 thumping at the hands of PSV earlier in the month.
Crystal Palace also put three past them and AZ are just two points ahead of Shels. If there are vulnerabilities to be exposed, Shels need to be ruthless.
Shakhtar, on the other hand, are four points clear at the top of the Ukrainian Premier League and have lost just once in 13 games. They scored 13 goals in their last two domestic games and, managed by former Atletico Madrid and Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan, they have been equally as impressive in this competition with two wins from three games.
They are currently just outside the automatic qualification path for the round of 16 so will be looking.
What happens from here?
Bradley has been on record throughout that seven points will be the magic number to earn a place in the knockout phase play-off round. As it stands, Lech Poznan and Dynamo Kyiv are on three points and occupy the final two places.
The other six teams in the unseeded play-off positions are all on four points, among them Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar, and Shkendija, who pilfered that late win over Shels in North Macedonia.
Shels have AZ tomorrow followed by Crystal Palace in Tallaght before they finish the league phase away to Celje, who proved a cut above Rovers. It will take something similar to Parrott’s Ireland heroics for Shels to turn this around now.
Rovers will also be hoping they can take it right down to the wire. An upset against Shakhtar – and a point would be a fine outcome – would maintain momentum ahead of a trip to Iceland’s Breidablik on 11 December before Maltese outfit Hamrun Spartans – without a point so far – pitch up at Tallaght on the final day.
How to watch
Tomorrow: AZ Alkmaar v Shelbourne, Live on Premier Sports 1, 5.45pm.
Tomorrow: Shamrock Rovers v Shakhtar Donetsk, Live on Premier Sports 1, 7.45pm.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
European check-in: What's at stake for Shels and Rovers as Conference League resumes
SHELBOURNE ARE ON their travels today as Joey O’Brien’s side head for the Netherlands to face Troy Parrott’s AZ Alkmaar tomorrow.
For Stephen Bradley and Shamrock Rovers, anticipation is building ahead of the visit of Shakhtar Donetsk. Just shy of 8,500 tickets are sold so far as the Double winners aim to keep their European adventure going into the New Year.
The two League of Ireland clubs have one point from their opening three Uefa Conference League games, while Shels are one place above their Dublin rivals due to a better goal difference.
Three weeks on from their last European game, here’s a refresher on how things stand for both sides.
Last time out
Emotions could hardly have been more contrasting back on 6 November.
Rovers went to AEK Athens on the back of defeats to Sparta Prague and Celje. A Graham Burke penalty gave them a 1-0 lead and just when it looked like that would be enough for a famous win in Greece, AEK were awarded a penalty of their own on 90 minutes to earn a point.
Later that evening Shels welcomed Drita to Tallaght Stadium. After a goalless opening 15 minutes it was clear O’Brien’s side were on top before James Norris was sent off for a reckless tackle.
The hosts still had a glorious chance to take the lead through Mipo Odubeko but they were dealt a sucker blow in the second half when two deflections gifted Drita the only goal of the game.
Following on from the concession of a late goal in North Macedonia, having drawn with Hacken on matchday one, you got the feeling nothing would go their way.
What’s in store?
Parrott’s heroics for Ireland against Portugal and Hungary add a different dimension to this tie for Shels. Given how they have been the architects of their own misfortune so far in this campaign, they will have to be pitch perfect to take anything from Alkmaar.
The Dutch side are third in the Eredivisie but have also been punished defensively in recent weeks with a 3-1 defeat to Heerenveen on Sunday and a 5-1 thumping at the hands of PSV earlier in the month.
Crystal Palace also put three past them and AZ are just two points ahead of Shels. If there are vulnerabilities to be exposed, Shels need to be ruthless.
Shakhtar, on the other hand, are four points clear at the top of the Ukrainian Premier League and have lost just once in 13 games. They scored 13 goals in their last two domestic games and, managed by former Atletico Madrid and Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan, they have been equally as impressive in this competition with two wins from three games.
They are currently just outside the automatic qualification path for the round of 16 so will be looking.
What happens from here?
Bradley has been on record throughout that seven points will be the magic number to earn a place in the knockout phase play-off round. As it stands, Lech Poznan and Dynamo Kyiv are on three points and occupy the final two places.
The other six teams in the unseeded play-off positions are all on four points, among them Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar, and Shkendija, who pilfered that late win over Shels in North Macedonia.
Shels have AZ tomorrow followed by Crystal Palace in Tallaght before they finish the league phase away to Celje, who proved a cut above Rovers. It will take something similar to Parrott’s Ireland heroics for Shels to turn this around now.
Rovers will also be hoping they can take it right down to the wire. An upset against Shakhtar – and a point would be a fine outcome – would maintain momentum ahead of a trip to Iceland’s Breidablik on 11 December before Maltese outfit Hamrun Spartans – without a point so far – pitch up at Tallaght on the final day.
How to watch
Tomorrow: AZ Alkmaar v Shelbourne, Live on Premier Sports 1, 5.45pm.
Tomorrow: Shamrock Rovers v Shakhtar Donetsk, Live on Premier Sports 1, 7.45pm.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Catch up Shelbourne Soccer Uefa conference league