2 v 1 
Shamrock RoversVideo
Details
| Date | Time | League | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 July 2023 | 8:15 pm | UEFA Champions League | 2023/24 |
Match Report
Hoops Bow Out Of Champions League Qualification
Shamrock Rovers bowed out of UEFA Champions League qualification as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Breiðablik this evening in Iceland.
An initial bright start was dashed away quickly as Jason Svanthorsson weaved past Pico Lopes and finished cooly to give the hosts the lead in the 15th minute.
Breiðablik went two ahead as Hoskuldur Gunnlaugsson lofted in a cross in the 60th minute that initially went unanswered before finding the top-left corner as the game looked to be put out of sight. Graham Burke’s cool finish from the penalty spot minutes later wasn’t enough to pull his side back into the game.
Shamrock Rovers bowed out of Uefa Champions League qualification as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Breiðablik in Iceland.
In contrast to the first leg, Rovers got off to a far brighter start and utilized a far more intense press, the likes of Burke, Poom and Towell all pouring pressure on Breiðablik’s back line, crashing into the box alongside Rory Gaffney.
Despite the promising signs in the first 10 minutes, warning bells should have been ringing when Damir Muminovic was afforded a free header at the back post. Muminoic headed down into the ground, the ball bouncing almost comically high due to the artificial pitch, as the centre-back could only watch his effort rise just inches above Leon Pohls’ crossbar.
Breiðablik continued to grow into the game and got their goal five minutes later, as Jason Svanthorsson picked up the ball on the halfway live and drove towards goal with such a direct, intense, manner that Rovers sorely lacked for the majority of the game. As Svanthrorsson dawned on the Rovers box he deftly weaved past the on-rushing Pico Lopes, before dropping his right shoulder and finishing across goal into Pohls’ bottom right corner.
Rovers were left with a mountain to climb following Svanthrorsson’s goal and looked to be left reeling, still unable to muster any palpable chances. Gaffney looked to have given his side a life-line as he latched onto a through ball and finished cooly in the 20th minute before the linesman swiftly waived his effort, replays showing Gaffney straying roughly a yard offside the Breiðablik back line.
Another encouraging start in the second for Rovers was again dashed away, a short Breiðablik corner routine seeing Svanthrorsson tee the ball off to Hoskuldur Gunnlaugsson on the corner of the box. The Icelandic international lofted in a menacing cross that initially went unanswered, before eventually finding itself in the top corner, the game having looked to be put beyond doubt.
There was a glimmer of hope when a lengthy VAR investigation involving an Oliver Sigurjonsson handball resulted in a spot-kick for The Hoops, Graham Burke who slotted the ball straight down the middle to reduce the deficit to two goals.
Half-chances fell to Gaffney and Johnny Kenny in the dying embers of the game yet there still wasn’t enough to pull Rovers out of the ditch and salvage their Champions League campaign.
Rovers will now face either Ferencváros or KÍ in the next round of UEFA Conference League qualifiers.
Timeline
Past Meetings
|
(First Qualifying Round)
0 - 1UEFA Champions League
Tallaght Stadium Shamrock Rovers 0-1 Breidablik |
Ground
| Kopavogsvollur |
|---|
| 4433+J7V, 201 Kópavogur, Iceland |
Alex Cunningham
Alex is a second-year Journalism student at DCU. As well as being a soccer enthusiast, he's also an avid athletics fan, competing in the sport for over ten years.
Full time. Breiðablik 2-1 Shamrock Rovers (Agg 3-1).
5 minutes of added time to be played in Iceland.
Yeoman goes off for Adalsteinsson, as Steindorsson is also replaced for Klaemint Olsen.
Finn goes off for Lee Grace.
Svanporsson and Alexander Sigurdarson are replaced by David Ingvarsson and Ágúst Hlynsson.
Johnny Kenny comes on for Burke.
Viktor Einarsson carded for a challenge on Daniel Cleary.
Towell and Poom come off for Dylan Watts and Aaron Greene.
Penalty given! Burke steps ups and slots the ball straight down the middle to give his side a potential life-line.
A long VAR check continues as referee Adam Ladebäck investigates a potential Oliver Sigurjonsson handball.
Goal! A short corner routine for Breiðablik sees Hoskuldur Gunnlaugsson receive the ball from Svanthorsson on the edge of the box, and whips a cross into the box that goes unanswered, and eventually finds itself in the top left corner! It looks to be game, set, match for Breidablik now.
Pohls makes a big save as he gets out eat early and makes himself big to stop Svanthorsson from close range.
Some more encouraging signs for Rovers as Towell drills a cross into the Breiðablik box and causes chaos, the ball nearly falling to Ronan Finn six yards out, Einarsson managing to claw the ball into his own hands.
Gaffney catches a vicious shot on the edge of the box and draws an acrobatic save from Einarsson who tips the shot over the bar.
Action gets back underway in Iceland!
Half-time in Iceland. Breiðablik 1-0 Shamrock Rovers (Agg 2-0).
Gaffney catches the ball on the right side of the box on the volley, the striker unable to get under the ball as his shot blazes far over the bar.
Richie Towell picks up the ball from 35 yards out and puts in a dangerous cross into the corridor of uncertainty, the ball just glancing Gaffney's head as Einarsson collects comfortably.
A well worked piece of play from Breiðablik sees Alexander Sigurdarson receive the ball on the right side of the box, the midfielder drawing a reactive save from Leon Pohls as the ball fizzled towards the left side-netting.
Markus Poom puts in a corner and finds the on rising Lopes who flicks the ball into the feet of Sean Hoare, the centre back flashing a shot that's deflected and flashes just inches off Anton Einarsson's left post.
Rovers are now left with a mountain to climb, as an initial bright start has faded away as Breiðablik have began to assert themselves in the game and find an attacking flow that has left The Hoops reeling.
Gaffney breaks through on goal and finishes well into the bottom corner, but the linesman immediately raises his flag and waves the goal away.
Goal! Jason Svanthorsson picks up the ball on the half way line and drives at Rovers goal, finding himself 1-on-1 with Pico Lopes. He drops the shoulder and zips past Lopes before burying his shot into the bottom left corner.
A corner delivered by Gunnlaugson finds the head of Muminovic at the back post, who heads the ball down into the ground and sees his effort bounce over the bar from point blank range. Rovers get off lightly.
Immediately a far brighter start for Shamrock Rovers in contrast to the first leg, utilizing a far more intense press as Burke, Gaffney, Poom and Towell all pile forward and put pressure on the Breiðablik defence.
And we're off! Breiðablik get the action underway.
The Hoops have been dealt a big blow with the loss of Jack Byrne, the midfielder picking up a knock in the reverse fixture in Tallaght. Byrne is replaced by Graham Burke who will slot behind Rory Gaffney up front. Richie Towell replaces Dylan Watts in the heart of the midfield, while Ronan Finn and Sean Kavanagh are named as Rovers' starting wing-backs in place of Neil Farrugia and Trevor Clarke's continued absence.
Bradley expects a strong response from his team, who’ve failed to win in their last three competitive fixtures: “We’ve just got to reach our levels. We know we can do that and we’ve shown over the years that we can win home or away. We need to learn from Tuesday, especially the first half, and put that right for tomorrow.”
“You learn from it and make sure we’re ready for a different type of game on Tuesday. “We knew how they’d come and play, how they’d press and we were just a little passive in everything we did in the game, in and out of possession, and if you do that against good sides they can hurt you. They certainly did that in the first half and took full advantage of it.”
A stunning free-kick from Breiðablik centre-half Damir Muminovic proved the difference maker last time around in a game where Rovers found themselves pinned in their own half for large periods of the game and unable to create many dangerous opportunities. Speaking on that defeat, manager Stephen Bradley lamented his side's inability to get out on the front foot: "We were obviously frustrated because we felt that for large parts of the first half, we allowed them to play their type of game, and that was frustrating afterwards but sometimes it happens in Europe,” Bradley said.
Evening all, welcome to tonight's match coverage of Breiðablik vs Shamrock Rovers. The Irish Champions travel to Iceland with hopes of overturning a 0-1 deficit, The Hoops soundly defeated in Tallaght Stadium last week.