Europa Conference League qualifier preview: Shamrock Rovers -v- Ferencvaros

Action from Ferencvaros v Shamrock Rovers in the Groupama Arena in Budapest

Action from Ferencvaros v Shamrock Rovers in the Groupama Arena in Budapest Credit: Macdara Ferris (ETPhotos)

SHAMROCK ROVERS

Hoops Head Coach Stephen Bradley is under no illusions as to the tough task in Tallaght on Thursday his team has in trying overturn a four goal first leg deficit when Rovers face Ferencvaros in their Europa Conference League qualifier (kick-off 8pm).

“I think to feel we can turn the tie around is unrealistic,” said Bradley speaking to shamrockrovers.ie ahead of Rovers home second leg of their second round qualifier.

“Ferencvaros will get opportunities during the game. But we will absolutely try and win the game, there’s no doubt we’ll try.”

Rovers have never won a European tie having lost the first leg and trailing 4-0 from last week’s match in Budapest it isn’t a realistic prospect that they will do so against the five-in-a-row Hungarian champions.

They did beat the Green Eagles 1-0 last season in the Europa League play-off having similarly lost the first leg 4-0 in Budapest.

“Can we win the tie? Hand on heart I don’t think so, but we’ll definitely try and win the second leg and hopefully come out of it with no injuries and focus on Sunday which is a really important league game.”

Domestically the Hoops are four points clear at the top of the table as they seek four titles in succession. They will have just ten league games left this season after Sunday’s visit of Cork City to Dublin 24 and that match will factor in Bradley’s team selection on Thursday.

“We have to be careful. We obviously have to think of the Cork game on Sunday,” said Bradley.

The Hoops are on their worst run of goalscoring of Bradley’s tenure and haven’t kept a clean sheet since June.



Bradley’s big decision last week was his choice of goalkeeper and he retained Alan Mannus from the 1-0 FAI Cup defeat in Dundalk but Mannus made a howler in conceding Rovers’ first goal in Budapest.

“We had two really good opportunities to take the lead before they threatened us, but then we make a mistake that’s very unlike Alan and you just have to accept that. He is human and can make a mistake and straight away that put Ferencvaros on the front foot.

"Alan has saved us on so many occasions throughout the years, so we have to accept it was just one of those things.

“We’re trying to get Alan back up to speed but Leon (Pohls) has been very good and has shown everyone how ready he is. Leon has come in and really stepped up, but I think it was important to get Alan back playing.

"We haven’t got many games left, so it was important to get him in. It’s always nice when you have two top keepers ready to play.

“We’re experienced enough to know, and we seen it last season, when you play at that level, any sort of mistake against top level players of quality, with Ferencvaros ambition to make the Champions League group stage, you’re going to get punished.”



FERENCVAROS

Fereencvaros have one foot very much in the third qualifying round of the Europa Conference League.

With a 4-0 first leg win, they are firm favourites to make it to the next round and are two ties away from making UEFA group stage football for the fifth year in the row – they’ve made Europa League group stages in three of the last four seasons with Champions League in the other campaign.

Speaking in Tallaght Stadium on the eve of the game, Fradi boss Csaba Máté said his team are looking for a victory in the second leg: “We enter the field with the need to win.”

His team flew into Shannon Airport earlier in the day before they made the trek up the M7 to Tallaght Stadium.

Thursday’s game is just his second in charge having come in after Fradi fired their manager after their Champions League exit at the hands of Faroe Island champions Klaskvik.

"In our situation, it is very important to achieve stability, not to have fluctuating performance, to try to gain confidence from these matches, to develop a team unity, a kind of playing style that characterises us.

“The most important message is not to be passive, to react well to what the home team will do. I think, as they did last year, they will play more aggressively than away from home, they will even push their defense higher. 

"We need to find the right answers to these in order to be successful in the match tomorrow as well.”

Referee: Tomasz Musial (Poland)

MATCH STATS

The Hoops have scored just one goal in their last six games and that was when VAR handed them a penalty in Iceland. As they are now in the Europa Conference League qualifiers, there will be no VAR this week – it is only in use in this competition from the play-off round and beyond.

Stephen Bradley has managed the Hoops in 36 European matches - winning a dozen games. No League of Ireland manager has won more matches in Europe. Stephen Kenny also has 12 victories from his 44 matches.

No League of Ireland player has played more games in Europe than Rovers skipper Ronan Finn. He made his 62nd appearance in Europe coming off the bench in last week’s game in Budapest. Sean Gannon is tied in second place with Gary Rogers on 54 European appearances.

Graham Burke has the Rovers record for goals in Europe with eight. His goal in Iceland last month moved him solo in fourth spot in the all-time League of Ireland goalscorers in Europe record behind Jason Byrne (10), Glenn Crowe (11) and David McMillan (14).

Rovers have only been involved in seven scoreless draws in Europe from the 107 matches they have played in Europe dating back to their first game in 1957 (against Manchester United). Two of those 0-0s were last season when the Hoops drew away to Hibernians of Malta in the first round of the Champions League qualifiers (having won the home leg 3-0) and in the Europa Conference League group game against Djurgardens in Tallaght.

PREDICTION

1-1

Shamrock Rovers

Injured: Jack Byrne, Neil Farrugia, Trevor Clarke, Rory Gaffney, Darragh Nugent

Doubtful: Lee Grace, Simon Power

Suspended: None

Ferencvaros

Injured: n/a

Doubtful: n/a

Suspended: None

About Macdara Ferris

Macdara Ferris is a contributor since 2007 to Hoops Scene (Shamrock Rovers' match day programme) and is the co-author of two books on Shamrock Rovers - 'Tallaght Time: Shamrock Rovers 2009 to 2012' (with Karl … View Full Profile