Shamrock Rovers have once more left themselves staring into the UEFA Champions League abyss after a 2-0 first leg loss to Ararat-Armenia.
Stephen Bradley's side are in familiar territory after suffering the same fate in the previous round against Floriana. They turned that around with a 5-1 second leg success in Tallaght and will be up for the challenge again on home soil.
Ararat-Armenia are also treading on known ground. They were 2-0 winners at home against Riga FC in the previous qualifying round in the UEFA Champions League before losing the second leg 3-2 in Latvia.
Shamrock Rovers v Ararat-Armenia Tips Summary
Best Bet - Shamrock Rovers to win & Over 2.5 goals @ 6/4
Alternative Bet - Game decided after penalties @ 9/1
Bet Builder - Over 2 goals, Over 9.5 corners & Shamrock Rovers to win the 2nd half @ 13/2
Shamrock Rovers v Ararat-Armenia Prediction
Best Bet: Shamrock Rovers to win & Over 2.5 goals @ 6/4
Shamrock Rovers again find their UEFA Champions League progress hopes in great peril after suffering a 2-0 first-leg loss on the road in Armenia.
As they did against Floriana in the previous round, the Hoops succumbed on their travels and some of their wounds were self-inflicted.
Matt Healy's red card in Malta was their undoing against Floriana, while this time it was a misplaced pass from Lee Grace that allowed Sandro Lima to break the deadlock six minutes after half-time in a game Rovers were controlling quite effectively until that point.
A second goal from Zidane Banjaqui late on means Bradley's men have a major challenge on their hands in Dublin.
They will be buoyed from having scored five times in the previous round. Ararat travelled to Riga with a 2-0 lead in the last round and saw it wiped out after 23 minutes. They fought back after half-time but eventually lost 3-2 on the night.
A similar outcome would be no shock here. Shamrock Rovers can win a high-scoring game but whether it is enough to prevail remains to be seen.
Alternative Bet: Game decided after penalties @ 9/1
A home win in which both teams find the net is a distinct possibility. Ararat have scored 11 times in their last five away league and cup games, but have conceded multiple goals in the last two.
Including the extra-time win over Cork City in the FAI Cup in Tallaght this month, Rovers have scored 13 times in four home games but produced no clean sheets in that sequence.
A two-goal win would force extra-time and penalties and is far from out of the question, making the 9/1 on offer that spot kicks will decide the winner an appealing option.
Shamrock Rovers v Ararat-Armenia Bet Builder Tip
- Over 2 goals
- Over 9.5 corners
- Shamrock Rovers to win the 2nd half
Pays 13/2
Over 2 goals has landed in three of Shamrock Rovers' last five games, with the 4-1 extra-time win over Cork one of the two exceptions. There are goals in this side.
Since Ararat-Armenia returned to action last month, both teams have scored in three of their four outings, including friendlies, before last week's first leg.
There were 11 corners in that first leg, seven for the visiting League of Ireland Premier Division champions. Shamrock Rovers are likely to do plenty of probing here and a similar corner count will come as no shock.
Bradley's side will have to be patient, as they will be loath to concede the first goal. They scored three unanswered goals in the second half against Floriana in the previous round and can at least win the spoils in the second period again now.
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Key Match Stats
- Shamrock Rovers have lost the first leg 2-0 in both UEFA Champions League qualifiers
- They were 5-1 winners at home against Maltese champions Floriana in the previous round
- Ararat-Armenia defeated Riga FC 2-0 at home in the previous round before losing the second leg 3-2 in Latvia
- Both teams have scored in three of Ararat-Armenia's last five games (including friendlies)
- Shamrock Rovers are without a clean sheet in seven games, conceding nine goals in that run
- Rovers had five different scorers in the home win over Floriana and have welcomed back Cape Verde's World Cup star Roberto Lopes into their side
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
