Shamrock Rovers begin their quest for Champions League qualification on Tuesday night as they travel to Ta’ Qali to take on Maltese champions Floriana in the first leg of their Champions League first-round tie.
Shamrock Rovers stretched their unbeaten run in the Irish Premier Division to four matches last Friday, as they came from a goal down to win 1-2 away at bottom side Sligo Rovers.
That result sees Stephen Bradley’s men remain seven points clear of second-placed Bohemians at the top of the LOI Premier Division table and on course to retain their crown.
Like their visitors, Floriana have won a record amount of league titles in their own country, with Tal-Irish clinching their 27th Maltese Premier League title last season.
However, unlike their visitors, Daniel Portela’s hosts have not played competitive football since the middle of May, with the Maltese Premier League not beginning until the middle of August.
The Winner of this tie will advance to the Champions League second Qualifying Round and will face one of Ararat-Armenia or Riga, whilst the losers will drop down to the Conference League qualifying rounds.
How the bookies view it: Shamrock favourites
Shamrock Rovers are favourites to leave Malta with a lead on Tuesday night, with bet365 pricing a Rovers victory at Evens.
Floriana are 23/10 underdogs to take a lead to Tallaght Stadium next week, whilst the draw is 9/4.
Head to head: First-ever meeting
Tuesday’s first leg in Malta will be the first-ever competitive meeting between these two sides.
Players to watch: Burke to bag again?
Graeme Burke is Shamrock’s leading scorer this season, with the Irish international finding the back of the net on seven occasions.
The latest of those came last Friday night, as he came off the bench to score the winning goal against Sligo Rovers, and he may be the best bet for a goal – albeit no goalscorer markets have been released yet.
Backed a player to find the net? Check our Goalscorer Betting guide to see how the markets work and where to find value.
Predicted line-ups:
Floriana’s starting line-up will likely feature ex-Rangers left-back Myles Beerman.
Shamrock Rovers will be without the injured Danny Mandroiu, Rory Gaffney, Danny Grant, Victor Ozhianvuna and Maleace Asamoah, whilst this game will come too soon for Cape Verde hero Pico Lopes.
Floriana: Cioletti, Zammit-Lonardelli, Mendonca, Spiteri, Beerman, Vella, Kurtalic, Varela, Muric, Areias, Veselji
Shamrock Rovers: McGinty, Mulraney, Matthews, Grace, Stevens, Brennan, Bryne, Watts, Healy, Burke, McGovern
Anything else catch the eye?
Shamrock Rovers travel to Malta with a clear advantage, given they are already 25 games into their domestic season, whilst Floriana were last in competitive action just under two months ago.
The Hoops also possess far more European experience in recent seasons, having reached the league stage of the Conference League in the past two campaigns.
The reigning Irish champions also arrive in Malta off the back of three wins and a draw from their last four league outings, and I’m backing them to take a lead back to Dublin on Tuesday night.
Given the hot weather conditions and Floriana’s lack of competitive action, goals could be at a premium, with Under 2.5 Goals priced at 7/10 at bet365.
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