Champions League Preview: Dundalk -v- FH Hafnarfjordur

DUNDALK FC

SSE Airtricity League Champions Dundalk host Icelandic side FH Hafnarfjordur in Wednesday night’s lucrative 2016/2017 UEFA Champions League second-round qualifier at Oriel Park.

Stephen Kenny’s men will seek to take away a first leg lead from the Carrick Road venue at the close of play which would see them head to Iceland’s third largest city Hafnarfjordur in pole position to further their progress from last year.

Belarussians BATE Borisov ended the Lilywhites’ Champions League ambitions at this same stage 12 months ago and manager Stephen Kenny will be hoping that Wednesday night’s match can see an improvement in his side’s European home form – Dundalk have won only one of their three home European matches since the Dubliner took charge in 2013.

The Louth side will head into their European adventure in buoyant mood as a consequence of three wins since the domestic scene returned to action following the mid-season interval.

Ciaran Kilduff’s 93^rd minute winner against Longford Town last week handed Dundalk a vital three points on the back of similar returns from encounters against St. Patrick’s Athletic and Derry City in consecutive outings.

The recent performances of Patrick McEleney and Ronan Finn have been encouraging for the Oriel Park faithful ahead of their European campaign. However it is the incredible form of frontman David McMillan which has excited the Dundalk supporters ahead of their tie with the Icelandic champions.

McMillan became just the seventh Lilywhite in the club’s history to register back-to-back hat-tricks following his three goal hauls in the space of five days against Derry City and Longford Town recently.

Stephen Kenny has been involved in many memorable European nights with Irish clubs during his managerial career, and he has encouraged his current crop of players to embrace the challenge ahead.

Kenny told dundalkfc.com: “We are Ireland’s representation in the Champions League. We are champions of Ireland and we are very proud to be representing the country and indeed the region in the competition. This is the highest level and it’s where we want to be.

“Icelandic football is on the rise. FH are a very good side and they are technically a good team. They keep the ball well but we are in good form ourselves. The players are ready and are looking forward to the challenge. I am hoping that we can carry our good form into the tie.”

FH HAFNARFJORDUR

Seven-times champions of the Icelandic Urvalsdeild, FH Hafnarfjordur will begin their UEFA Champions League Qualifier in Oriel Park with confidence due to their comfortable berth at the summit of their domestic league table.

This coupled with the fact that Icelandic football has been given a massive injection of optimism on the back of the national side’s incredible exploits at EURO 2016.

Albeit KR Reykjavik are seen as the biggest club team in Iceland, FH have had the most prolific spell in the country’s domestic scene over the past decade, amassing six league titles in ten league seasons. Thus their recent European pedigree would be much larger than that of Dundalk.

Amongst some of the many European opponents that the former Gymnastics club have encountered since they ventured into such competition in 2005, are foes all too familiar to the Lilywhites.

Luxembourgians Grevenmacher (2008) and Dundalk’s conqueror’s from last season BATE Borisov (2007) are two of the sides well acquainted with both the Irish side and FH.

FH boast potentency in the form of their skipper and play-maker David Vidarsson and pacey winger Podarinn Valdimarsson both former Icelandic internationals. While ex-Rangers and Dundalk FC striker Steven Lennon will lead the line for the club who he has scored 19 goals for in 36 league appearances.

Englishmen Sam Tillen and Sam Hewson, formally of Chelsea and Manchester United respectively, are also members of the FH squad which will play in Oriel Park on Wednesday evening.

Last weekend Hewson begun his first match since May and is in contention for a place in his side’s starting eleven. However it remains to be confirmed as to whether or not central defender Kassim Doumbia will recover from a recent injury in time to line up in the match. Doumbia is regarded as a main-stay of the FH team.

Referee: Nikola Popov (Bulgaria)

MATCH STATS

This will be Dundalk’s 51st European match and their record to date reads: P50 W10 D9 L31.

This is not the first time that Dundalk have faced Icelandic opposition. The Lilywhites defeated Fram Reykjavik over two legs in the Cup Winners Cup in 1981. The Lilywhites were defeated 2-1 away from home, however, overturned the deficit at home with a 4-0 victory.

A draw tomorrow night will mean that the Lilywhites have drawn successive home matches in Europe for the first time ever.

BETTING

Dundalk FC 8/11; Draw 12/5; FH Hafnarfjordur 10/3.

PREDICTION

Dundalk 2-0 FH

Dundalk FC

Injured: None

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

FH Hafnarfjordur

Injured: Unknown

Doubtful: Unknown

Suspended: Unknown