Soccer

Champions League: Shamrock Rovers host Icelandic opponents with tie finely balance

Hoops to play second-leg qualifier against Víkingur after scoreless draw in Reykjavik and Bohemians in FAI Cup on Friday

Shamrock Rovers' Dylan Watts: 'There is always pressure here. It’s time to stand up now and face it.' Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Shamrock Rovers' Dylan Watts: 'There is always pressure here. It’s time to stand up now and face it.' Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Paul Buttner
Tue Jul 16 2024 - 06:00
Uefa Champions League,
First qualifying round (second Leg),
Shamrock Rovers (0) v Víkingur Reykjavík (0),
Tallaght Stadium, Tuesday, 8pm

Dylan Watts is relishing the intensity of the biggest week yet in Shamrock Rovers’ season.

Friday will bring a Dublin derby with arch-rivals Bohemians at Dalymount Park in the second round of the FAI Cup. For now, all the focus is concentrated on tonight’s Champions League qualifier second leg against Icelandic opponents Víkingur with the tie delicately poised following last week’s scoreless draw in Reykjavik.

“Yes, it’s a massive week,” agrees midfielder Watts. “We obviously know that. We have a big game to concentrate on tonight and then a massive game in the cup as well. We’ve been disappointing over the last few years in the cup. These are two massive games for us this week and we’ll be ready to try to win both.”

And Rovers being off the pace in the league brings added significance to these other competitions.

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“Yes, absolutely. We would like to be in a better position in the league, there is no doubt about that,” said Watts in advance of what will be his 36th appearance in Europe. “We are where we are. We are still going to fight to win the league and obviously the cup comes into play. That’s another one we really want to win. Then we obviously have Europe as well.”

Though midfielder Darragh Nugent is suspended, having been sent off in the first leg, defender Lee Grace is back fit tonight as manager Stephen Bradley wants Rovers to show a more clinical side to their attack having wasted a couple of late openings after defending stoutly throughout much of the first leg.

“At times we could have been better in the final third over there, although we did have really good chances with Darragh and Johnny’s [Kenny] two,” said Bradley. “There were times when we could have hurt them more in that final third and we just didn’t take care in that final bit. The final third, we can be a little bit better.”

With ticket sales going well, Rovers are hopeful of exceeding last year’s biggest European attendance of 7,216.

Sparta Prague await the winners in the second round — which would guarantee a further two ties in addition to that — along with the financial reward of a guaranteed minimum €1.75 million in Uefa prize money.

The consolation for defeat (guaranteed minimum €970,000) is the parachute into the second round of the Conference League against opponents (either Borac Banja Luka of Bosnia and Herzegovina or Albanian side KF Egnatia) who won’t be known until Wednesday night.

“There is always pressure when you are at this club,” added Watts of the busy week ahead. “We’ve had great success over the last few years, but there is always pressure here. It’s time to stand up now and face it.”