Shamrock Rovers players celebrate scoring against St. Patrick's Athletic in their FAI Cup tie in Richmond Park on Sunday 16 August 2026 Credit: Matthew Lysaght (ETPhotos)
Conference League play-off preview: Shamrock Rovers -v- KuPS
Shamrock Rovers will look to put some recent iffy form behind them when they take on Kuopion Palloseura of Finland at Tallaght Stadium on Thursday evening (kick-off 8pm). It is the first leg of a tie that will decide which side takes their place in the league phase of the UEFA Conference League 2026/27.
The monetary difference between elimination from Europe and qualification for league phase football is a minimum of €2.2 million so it is a big match in Dublin 24 on Thursday.
SHAMROCK ROVERS
The Hoops come into the game on the back of a run of games that have changed the complexion of the rest of their year. Against KuPS, they have one final chance to make the season about more than retaining their League of Ireland title.
On Sunday, they let a two-goal lead slip as St. Patrick’s Athletic eliminated them from the FAI Cup with a 3-2 extra time win at Richmond Park. A second consecutive league-and-cup double is no longer on the cards.
Just three days prior to that, they were humiliated in Albania when a 3-1 advantage from the first leg turned into a 6-4 aggregate defeat, as Egnatia eliminated them from the Europa League qualifiers.
Hoops Head Coach Stephen Bradley acknowledged at the time that the result had let the club and the fans down, but was proud of how his team responded in Inchicore at the weekend.
“We asked for a response from Thursday and we got that,” said Bradley speaking to his club’s media team. “We were a minute away from going through on Sunday. Ed McGinty is very unlucky then to not save the penalty.
“Once it went to extra time, to be fair, the players were out on their feet, after Thursday and they gave everything. We just came up short but we can’t ask for much more off the back of Thursday for what they brought on Sunday.”
Had the Hoops held on to progress from the tie with Egnatia, they’d instead be facing Norwegian side Lillestrøm for a place in the league phase of the Europa League, with a place in the league phase of the Conference League as the consolation prize if they lost. Instead, they must overcome their Finnish opposition to reach that stage.
Rovers have started 19 players in their last two games, with only Ed McGinty, Tunmise Sobowale and Jack Byrne starting both fixtures. This has been as much about squad rotation as working around injuries and the team to start at Tallaght Stadium tomorrow night is likely to more resemble the one beaten in Albania than in Inchicore.
That should mean the return of captain Pico Lopes (after cup suspension) and Enda Stevens in the back line, as well as Dylan Watts and Jake Mulraney and recent signing Will Fitzgerald in midfield. Expect to see Graham Burke start up front – his 17th European goal last week moved him to 108 goals for Rovers in the league, cup and in Europe.
Against St. Patrick’s Athletic on Sunday, Danny Mandroiu made his first start since his ACL injury last November in the FAI Cup final and played well over his hour on the field. He may not start, but will surely feature against KuPS. Bradley was happy with how Mandroiu got on.
“I thought Danny was excellent, it was great to see that sharpness and speed was still there. Ideally you keep him on the pitch for the ninety plus minutes, especially as he was playing well. But we had to be careful also, he’s only back after a long time out and we need to mind him as well. But it was pleasing to see the level Danny was at.”
KUOPION PALLOSEURA
Kuopion Palloseura (known as KuPS) are the reigning Finnish champions and currently sit atop the Veikkausliiga (the Finnish Premier Division), five points clear with the season almost two-thirds complete. Another championship this year would make it three-in-a-row, and tie them with two other sides as the second most successful clubs in Veikkausliiga history.
Their league form has been good, as you’d expect from the side on top of the table. Their last defeat came on May 2nd, since which they have won nine and drawn six.
Danger for Rovers will come in the form of Nicaragua international Jaime Moreno who, with ten goals from 18 appearances, is the fourth highest scorer in the Veikkausliiga, and from Joslyn Luyeye-Lutumba, a Finnish winger of Congolese descent who has scored four goals in KuPS’ last five league matches.
Gustav Engvall, who was capped twice for Sweden ten years ago, is available for KuPS after returning from injury. He knows exactly what his team needs to be on Thursday night.
“Active is the first word that comes to mind,” said Engvall when speaking to his club’s website. “We know that Shamrock Rovers are a tough home team, but they have had a tougher time away from home. We can't give them anything in the opening half.
“I think we have prepared for the upcoming game very carefully. The coaching staff has done a really thorough scouting job and we know exactly what to expect. The most important thing is that we are able to play the game tactically as a team, exactly as it should be”.
KuPS have followed the same path as Rovers in Europe this year, winning their first round Champions League qualifier (beating the Macedonian side Vardar 4-3 on aggregate) before losing in the second round (against Sabah of Azerbaijan, 3-0 on aggregate).
They lost in the Europa League third qualifying round (against the Romanian team Universitatea Craiova, 3-2 over the two legs) before joining Rovers in the play-off, one game away from the league phase of the Conference League.
Last season they played in the league phase of the Conference League, finishing 21st of 36 teams (including a 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park against eventual winners Crystal Palace), so they have more than enough European pedigree to ensure Rovers know they have a difficult mission ahead. This is something Bradley is well aware of.
“They’re a good team,” said Bradley. “I’m sure they’ll feel they should have went through in their last Europa League round. They were very good and have got real threats in their team, good speed. Tactically they’re good which is the case with most Scandinavian teams. So we know it’s a tough game and a pretty even tie between us.”
They are no strangers to League of Ireland fans, who might recall Derry City’s 5-4 aggregate win against KuPS in a Conference League qualifier in August 2023.
Referee: Morten Krogh (Denmark)
MATCH STATS
The Hoops have not lost three matches in a row this season.
In Europe they have won all three home matches but have lost all three away from Tallaght.
Lee Grace played his 55th European game last week to move to fifth in the top appearance list of League of Ireland players in Europe – only Sean Gannon (69), Dylan Watts (66) and Pico Lopes (62) have played more.
The Hoops are unbeaten in Tallaght in a knockout European tie in six European matches – winning four and drawing two.
PREDICTION
1-1
Shamrock Rovers
Injured: Danny Grant, Dan Cleary, John McGovern, Naj Razi, Victor Ozhianvuna
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
Kuopion Palloseura
Injured: None.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
Additional reporting by Macdara Ferris
— extratime.com (@extratime.com) 18 August 2026 at 22:50
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