Soccer
Rovers back on European trail against Teuta
By Daire Walsh
FOLLOWING the high of their Dublin derby victory over St Patrick’s Athletic in the same venue on Friday, Shamrock Rovers will turn their attention to tonight’s UEFA Conference League third qualifying round first leg encounter with Albania’s KF Teuta Durrës at the Tallaght Stadium (kick-off 8pm).
Currently on a run of four consecutive wins in all competitions, the Hoops will be seeking another victory on home soil this evening to put themselves in a strong position ahead of next Thursday’s return fixture.
After falling agonisingly short against Slovan Bratislava in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, Rovers were allowed to bypass the second qualifying round of the Conference League – a third-tier competition that has been introduced for the 2021/22 season.
Additionally, Stephen Bradley’s men find themselves in the Champions Path alongside nine other teams. Should the Hoops progress from this stage, they will face the losers of the two-legged Europa League third qualifying round clash between Omonia of Cyprus and Estonia’s Flora in the play-off phase of the Conference League.
That is a matter for another day, however, and Rovers will need to negotiate a way past Edi Martini’s resilient Teuta outfit.
Seemingly destined for an early European exit when losing 2-0 at home to Inter Club d’Escaldes of Andorra in the first leg of their second round Conference League qualifier, the Kategoria Superiore champions defied the odds to secure a 3-0 extra-time triumph away from home.
This ensured their progression to the next stage of the competition and while their European wins have been few and far between over the years, Rovers will need to be on top of their game nonetheless.
Yet Bradley has a clear ambition for his side to have a strong run on the continent and their impressive 2-1 second leg success over Slovan Bratislava suggests they should be good enough to overcome Teuta at the end of 180 plus minutes of action.
While there may be one eye on their Premier Division showdown with Longford Town on Sunday (kick-off 8pm, Tallaght Stadium), the importance of tonight’s game cannot be underestimated.