If Shamrock Rovers needed a timely reminder of the task at hand for tonight's UEFA Conference League clash against APOEL Nicosia, it came in the guise of a home humiliation on Friday night.
The crushing 3-0 defeat to St Patrick's Athletic at Tallaght Stadium should have all but ended Rovers’ hopes of landing a historic fifth league title in a row, however, results elsewhere dictate that they can still compete on two fronts going into the business end of the season.
Stephen Bradley - who has been handed a one-match suspension for "disparaging comments" in the aftermath of their 1-1 draw with Derry City last month after comments about referee Damien MacGraith - and his side have a chance to close the gap at the top of the table to two points should they defeat Shelbourne on Sunday, but first, the Hoops return to the European stage to take on the champions of Cyprus in the league phase of the revamped Conference competition.
They'll do so boosted by positive fitness news on Josh Honohan, who is available after being forced off in the early stages of that loss to St Pat's.
The third tier of the elite European leagues, perhaps, yet for any League of Ireland club, this six-game stretch really is the ultimate aspiration, to get to extend the season into December with a great chance to add to the already banked UEFA funds after landing at this desired destination.
The group stages have morphed into the league phase, and if anything, it has helped the cause of the lower-ranked sides hoping to enjoy a modicum of success in the competition.
Rovers, in particular, have benefitted from a strong coefficient in this year’s draw, which actually allows them to dream of making it through to the knockout stages of the reworked system.
Six games to negotiate with six different opponents, as 24 of the 36 teams will advance beyond the league phase; the top eight move into the round of 16, while the remaining 16 play-off to face the seeded sides.
Therefore, a target of eight to ten points should see teams into that top 24, and while it still remains an uphill task for the League of Ireland champions, it is by no means beyond the realms of possibility considering Rovers’ opponents for this imminent phase.
Granted, the Hoops are not expected to pick up anything in their final game, away to Chelsea, however, there are points to be collected before that December day out at Stamford Bridge, which will bring back memories of the time when Rovers shocked Spurs – albeit momentarily – by taking a second-half lead at White Hart Lane back in 2011.
Rovers will aim to pick up points in their home ties against The New Saints from Wales and Bosnia’s Borac Banja Luka, while they will also be confident of securing something from their short hop north to take on Irish League champions Larne at Windsor Park.
And based on the Hoops’ experience of high-profile games at Tallaght Stadium in recent seasons, Bradley’s side will be confident of taking the game to APOEL this evening as they look to bounce back from that shocking defeat to Stephen Kenny’s side on Friday.
APOEL have not been overly impressive throughout the early stages of the season as they bowed out of the Champions League to Slovan Bratislava, before exiting the Europa League to Latvian side RFS.
As a result, they have landed back in the Conference League and while they have won three of their first five domestic games, they were held scoreless by bottom side Omonia 29 Maiou on Sunday.
But the visitors are filled with international experience and possess a wealth of talent throughout the spine of their team, most notably the entertaining former Portugal international, Pizzi, who should start in the centre of the midfield, having just signed for the club last month.
With over 200 appearances for Benfica during a ten-year stint at the Stadium of Light, Pizzi also played for Atletico Madrid and Deportivo La Coruna and spent last season back in the Portugal top flight at hometown club Braga.
Georgia international, Lasha Dvali, who played at Euro 2024, will marshal the centre of defence alongside Cyprus international Konstantinos Laifis, while other notable players include Morocco striker Youssef El-Arabi, and goalkeeper Vid Belec, who played 21 times for Slovenia having spent most of his career in Italy, on the books at both Inter Milan and Sampdoria without breaking into the respective first teams.
Right-back Mateo Sušić is a former Bosnia international, and defensive midfielder Georgi Kostadinov has been capped over 40 times for Bulgaria,
Former Schalke and Germany wonderkid Max Meyer – who played four times for the national side and won a silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games – signed as a free agent at the start of the season, but has not featured since the start of September.
Bradley’s side, however, have proved quite formidable at home in European encounters in recent seasons and again they will be looking to build from a strong base as they take on the Cypriot side.
Rovers' late charge for an unlikely league title coincided with the return to form of influential midfielder Jack Byrne and the Ireland international can provide the creativity for the home side to punish an APOEL XI – his former club – who will be confident of playing an attacking game in Tallaght.
Rovers will expect to create chances against APOEL, having proved capable against superior sides in recent campaigns, so it will be up to the Dubliners to take their opportunities when presented if they want to be in with a shout of securing a solid start to this campaign.
The Hoops will, no doubt, look to maintain their strategy of playing out from defence, and Bradley's team are well-drilled in that style at this stage, so there is no fear involved, however, that level of passing and precision needs to be consistent and controlled to play through their experienced opponents this evening.
Giving away soft goals has proved Rovers' Achilles heel at European level, which has often been the difference between the teams in close encounters, and if the Hoops can keep their discipline and maintain those high levels of concentration, they may well begin as they intend to continue, by breaking through another glass ceiling in Europe and beyond to the knockout stages.
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