Rovers manager Stephen Bradley at training ahead of tonight's Europa League meeting with Shkupi. Image: Ryan Byrne/INPHO Rovers manager Stephen Bradley at training ahead of tonight's Europa League meeting with Shkupi. Image: Ryan Byrne/INPHO YOU WIN OR you learn.
Rovers have spent the last few weeks wending their way around Europe again, and tonight they welcome KF Shkupi of North Macedonia to Tallaght for the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round tie. Progress in this tie will guarantee them a spot in the Conference League group phase at worst, as that’s the consolation prize for losing the Europa League playoff against Qarabag or Ferencvaros.
Grace will likely have a new defensive partner for this game in Dan Cleary, signed last week after he left St Johnstone and Roberto Lopes was ruled out for two months with a knee injury. Jack Byrne, meanwhile, who has played all of 20 minutes of football since mid-May, is rated as 50/50 for tonight as he shakes off a hip flexor issue. New signing Simon Power is expected to be absent.
“Very similar against Lincoln, away they were poor and at home they won the game 3-0. But anyone who can run Dinamo close – I think we saw Dinamo’s quality yesterday against Ludogorets – shows they’ve got real threats we’ve got to respect.” His squad are much less familiar. Only goalkeeper Kristijan Naumovski was among the North Macedonia squad that shocked Italy in the World Cup play-offs last year. Rovers will be aware of striker Pepi Gjorgiev, however, as he made substitute appearances for Teuta in both legs against Rovers in last year’s Conference League qualifiers.
“It doesn’t bother me what’s said outside”, says Bradley. “It’s always been that way. As you said, last year as soon as we were drawn against Flora people said ‘Oh they’ll make the group stages’ without actually understanding how good they were and how good their manager was. We just focus on these and any team that can do what they did to Dinamo over two legs is a team that you’ve got to respect and that’s all what we’ll focus.