Uefa Champions League (second qualifying round, second leg): Sparta Prague (2) v Shamrock Rovers (0), Stadion Letná, Tuesday, 6pm Irish time
Shamrock Rovers will be without in-form striker Johnny Kenny when goals will be needed as Stephen Bradley’s side strive to keep their tenuous Champions League qualification hopes alive in Prague on Tuesday evening.
The 21-year-old, who has scored 10 times in Rovers’ last 16 games, including a cracking brace which helped overcome Icelanders Vikingur Reykjavik in the last round, shipped a knock in last week’s home defeat to Sparta. On that occasion negligent defending was clinically punished at one end while Rovers failed to take several gilt-edged opportunities at the other.
“We had chances, but didn’t take them,” said head coach Bradley, the scale of task ahead shown by the fact no League of Ireland side has ever overturned a two-goal deficit in Europe.
“They took their chances, which you would expect of that level. We’ve just got to make sure we get opportunities which we can take.”
And being the first to take one would greatly help.
“The first goal obviously changes everything, the whole outlook and feel of the game,” said Bradley. “It’s just important we focus on our jobs and when the opportunities come, which they will, that we take them.”
Though Kenny is out, Jack Byrne returns from having been suspended for the first leg, the midfielder relishing pitting his technique and guile against this level of opposition.
“They’re obviously a really good team,” said Byrne, naturally frustrated at having had to watch from the stand last week.
“I’ve played against a lot of really good teams, played against them for Rovers, we’ve played AC Milan, Ferencvaros, Ludogorets, these are all top teams, and they [Sparta] are no different.
“They are a brilliant side, they controlled the game really well and away from home it’s difficult to do that no matter who you’re playing.
“You see it with the Irish sides against lesser opposition, the Gibraltar teams, how they struggled to impose themselves away from home, so for them to do that to us was impressive.
“We had chances in the game and on another day we might be a bit closer, so it’s up to us to give a good account of ourselves.”
The winners advance to play the winners of FCSB of Romania versus Maccabi Tel Aviv in the third qualifying round of the premier competition.
Defeat brings the parachute into the third qualifying round of the Europa League to face the losers of Slovenians NK Celje versus Slovan Bratislava.
