Since 2019, the Shamrock Rovers have suffered a single defeat in nine European home matches. This should instill optimism in the League of Ireland frontrunners when they face off against Icelandic team Breidablik in the first round of their Champions League qualifier.
Previous season victories over Ludogorets and Ferencvaros at Tallaght have underscored the Rovers’ resilience when playing on home turf. Their solitary defeat, incidentally, came at the hands of Milan, a loss that was far from embarrassing.
Consequently, Stephen Bradley’s squad is the favorite to win at home against Breidablik. The Icelandic team currently ranks third in their national league, which is making notable progress, and have managed at least two goals in each of their last eight games across all tournaments. Notable victories include a 7-1 win against San Marino’s Tre Penne and a 5-0 triumph over Montenegro’s Buducnost in the preliminary round.
Despite Shamrock’s formidable European home record, their odds of 4-5 are slightly narrow, especially considering their goalless performance in their last two matches.
Bate Borisov is one of several teams joining the competition with prior group-stage experience. The team from Belarus might argue that their mid-season league status will have them prepared for their match against Albania’s Partizan Tirana.
However, Partizan managed to seize the championship in the latter part of last season and continues to bolster their team, while Borisov lags behind in the Belarusian league and has been conceding goals. Partizan could be a good betting choice.
Ludogorets is also predicted to perform well against Ballkani, the champions of Kosovo, who have been required to play the match in Pristina due to their home ground not meeting Uefa standards.
In the previous season’s Champions League qualifiers, Ballkani was defeated by Zalgiris, a team that Ludogorets managed to beat just weeks later, securing their place in the Europa League. There, they went on to defeat finalists Roma in the group stage.
Best bets
Partizan Tirana at 17/10 with 888sport
Ludogorets Razgrad at 10/11 with bet365
