Breidablik boss Oskar Thorvaldsson highlights Hoops striker Gaffney as danger: ‘He is one of the best we have faced in all of our games in Europe’

Macdara Ferris reports from Kopavogur in Iceland

Icelandic champions Breidablik won’t be sitting back on their 1-0 lead when they host Shamrock Rovers in the second leg of their Champions League qualifier in Kopavogur on Tuesday evening.

Their Head Coach Oskar Thorvaldsson has called on his team to attack but highlighted how they need to manage the standout players for Shamrock Rovers. He listed Jack Byrne (who will miss the match due to injury) and particularly Rory Gaffney (who has five goals in Europe) as real threats.

“We cannot go and only defend our lead,” said Thorvaldsson speaking to this reporter in the Kipavogsvollur stadium on the eve of the game. “We have to look at it as 0-0. We need to attack, like we attacked in Dublin.

“We fell back a little bit (in the second half). There was a niggling thought at the back of your mind to protect the lead. We are best when we play higher up the pitch and are at the forefront.”

In the dark

“With European games when you play the first game, you are kind of in the dark. Yes we watched a lot Shamrock Rovers games including in Europe last year and you get a feeling this is a strong team.

“But you never know until the game starts how good Jack Byrne is in small spaces or how strong Rory Gaffney is at protecting the ball or how fast he is.

"He is an excellent player - a very strong centre forward who can also run behind. He is one of the best we have faced in all of our games in Europe.

“We saw a team that when they have time and space they move the ball really well, have excellent movement and overload the midfield.

"You can’t give them space and time to build without having pressure on them as they are good at playing between the lines and finding space between midfield and defence.”

The Icelandic side took a 39^th minute lead in Tallaght through a super free kick from Damir Muminovic – one of just two of their shots from six in the game on target - after an impressive first half display but the Hoops improved in the second half but couldn’t find an equaliser.  

They couldn’t convert their ten shots – five on target – into a goal that would make their job a lot easier in Tuesday evening’s second leg in Iceland (kick-off 8.15pm Irish time).

“I’m not naïve that we would be better team for whole 90 minutes away from home in Tallaght Stadium in a European game. Shamrock Rovers improved and stepped on the gas without creating a lot of chances apart from at the end.

"You would expect a team as good as Shamrock Rovers to get momentum at home at some point in the game.”

Venue for Shamrock Rovers Champions League qualifier. Breidablik had massive kids tournament on Kipavogavoller pitch at weekend so some running repairs being made. Spoke with their manager and skipper earlier. Rovers fans will be in small open stand tomorrow & VAR is ready to go. pic.twitter.com/qYafTsgLxI

— Macdara Ferris (@macdarabueller) July 17, 2023