Hoops set to face Maltese champions Hibernians
SSE Airtricity League Premier Division champions, Shamrock Rovers have been drawn against Malta’s Hibernians FC in the first qualifying round for the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League.
Held at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, the draw also confirmed that Stephen Bradley’s charges will be at home for the first leg in Tallaght on either July 5 or 6. The return leg will then take place at the Tony Bezzina Stadium in Paola on either July 12 or 13.
Whereas the winners of this tie will advance to the Champions Path second qualifying round of the Champions League, the losers will transfer to the Europa Conference League Champions Path second qualifying round.
While Rovers are guaranteed an extended run regardless of how their duels with Hibernians pan out, they will of course be eager to stay in European football’s premier competition for as long as possible.
The Hoops will be the third Irish club that Hibernians have faced in Europe, following Dundalk (1979-80) and Shelbourne (2002-03).
They also faced Manchester United in the first leg of the 1967/68 European Cup, with the Red Devils securing a 4-0 aggregate win before subsequently becoming the first English winners of the competition in the same season.
Before the Hoops can focus on negotiating their way past the challenge of the Maltese champions, they will have to concentrate on their quest for domestic supremacy.
Currently in a strong position to earn a third successive Premier Division title, they will pay a visit to Dundalk at Oriel Park tomorrow night (kick-off 7.45pm).
Games between these two teams are usually tight affairs and that was the case when the Lilywhites arrived at Tallaght Stadium back in April. On that occasion, a Danny Mandroiu goal saw Rovers claim a 1-0 triumph.
When the same two sides clashed in Oriel a month earlier, a scoreless draw was played out.
It will be interesting to see how the Rovers players bounce back from a three-week break, albeit Andy Lyons has featured for the Republic of Ireland Under 21s in some of their recent qualifiers.
Due to the exclusion of Russian clubs from European competitions, FAI Cup holders St Patrick’s Athletic have received a bye into the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
This puts the Saints just three rounds away from the group stages of Europe’s third-tier, which was won by Jose Mourinho’s Roma at the end of its inaugural season.
Pat’s will also be back on domestic duty tomorrow with a home tie against top-flight basement side UCD at Richmond Park (kick-off 7.45pm).
Having already registered the maximum six points from their previous showdowns with the Students this season, the Inchicore outfit will be confident heading into this latest clash.
On their home patch back on March 14, goals from Firhouse’s Eoin Doyle and his namesake Mark Doyle guided the Saints towards a 2-0 success.
Colm Whelan gave UCD the lead when the teams renewed acquaintances at Belfield a month later, but Pat’s eventually came out on top courtesy of an initial Ben McCormack equaliser and a Mark Dignam own goal.
Although they currently lie fourth, a ninth win for the campaign could put pressure on Dundalk and Derry City in the upper echelons of the Premier table.