Champions League Preview: St Pats -v- Legia Warsaw

• John O'Shea
• Wed, Jul 23 2014




ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC

St Patrick's Athletic could create another night for Irish football to remember, if they can overcome Polish champions Legia Warsaw in the Champions League Second Qualifying Round, 2^nd leg on Wednesday night.

 

Pats have given themselves a great chance of progressing as they secured a vital away goal in Poland last week, thanks to a goal from Christy Fagan, in a game that finished 1-1. That away goal has given the Saints players and supporters alike hope that they can pull off a famous victory.

 

There has been plenty of debate over the decision to move the game to Tallaght Stadium rather than Pats home ground, Richmond Park, especially when you look back on the big European results St Patrick’s Athletic have recorded there in recent years. IF Elfsborg, PFC Krylya Sovetov Samara and FC Shakhter Karagandy have all been beaten by Pats in UEFA competitions at the Inchicore venue in recent years.

 

It would be more fitting one feels if such a big night in the club’s history would take place at their own ground, but that is not to be the case and if Pats are to progress, they will do so on the wider Tallaght pitch.

 

There are plenty of rewards for victory. First of all there is the dangling carrot of a third qualifying round tie with Celtic. But if Pats were to qualify for the third qualifying round, it would mean that they would be guaranteed at least four more games in Europe as the losers in the Champions League Third Qualifying round go into the Europa League.

 

Ahead of the game, Saints manager Liam Buckley is adamant that there is cause for his side to be optimistic going into the tie with Legia Warsaw.

 

"Legia have to win the game and we can go out not to lose, but we won't be playing like that.”

 

“We can do it.  We have enough good talent in our group. Collectively, we know what we're about. If we're at it on Wednesday, we'll win." said Buckley.

 

Killian Brennan trained on Tuesday afternoon and Buckley is hopeful that we will play after he was suffering from a knee injury. Sean Hoare is also a doubt and he will also be assessed closer to kick off. Ian Bermingham will be fit to play Buckley also added.

 

LEGIA WARSAW

Legia Warsaw will be heading over to Dublin with the tie still very much alive.   The Polish side will be out to prove that they are past this shaky spell and progress from the tie on Wednesday night.

 

 After Fagan gave Pats a shock lead, Miroslav Radovic‘s  stoppage time goal for Legia    broke  St Pats resolve as the two sides played out a 1-1 draw.

 

This result was followed by a 1-0 home defeat by newly promoted side Belchatov in their opening Ekstraklasa match of the season on Saturday.

 

Polish champions Legia dominated the competition and retained their league title last season.

 

Legia’s versatile forward or midfielder Miroslav Radovic, who was Legia’s goal scorer from the first leg, had a fine season last year and he will be one of the main danger men for St Pats.

 

Legia Warsaw manager Henning Berg will be hoping to avert a crisis by knocking Pats out of the Champions League, but he feels that his side have not played as bad as the media make out.

 

“Media like to talk about a crisis but I don’t think we played that badly and if we had a bit more luck, we could have won both games. We won the league last year so I am not going to cry after one defeat.”

 

“St Pats could have scored more goals against us but we can go up another level. Dublin won’t be easy and the team that plays will be different to the one on Saturday night. The primary objective is to get through to the next round,” added Berg.

 

Referee:  Andreas Ekberg (Sweden)

 

MATCH STATS 

Legia Warsaw have won the Polish league 10 times.

 

Other than in 2013, St Pats have made it through three rounds of European qualification on the 4 previous seasons before that when they were playing in Europe.

 

The winner will face a Third Qualifying Round clash with Scottish champions, Celtic.

 

BETTING   

St Patrick’s Athletic 4/1; Draw 11/4; Legia Warsaw 8/13

 

PREDICTION    

St Patrick’s Athletic 2-1  Legia Warsaw

 

St Patrick’s Athletic

Injured:  None

Doubtful:  Killian Brennan, Sean Hoare.

Suspended: None

  

Legia Warsaw

Injured:   N/A

Doubtful:  N/A

Suspended:   N/A