Europa Conference League Qualifier Preview: St. Patrick’s Athletic v F91 Dudelange

ST. PATRICK’S ATHLETIC

With the Saints coming into this tie 2-1 down from the first leg, they will take heart that the club have on five occasions in Europe over the last 21 years won ties having lost one of the legs.

Rijeka in 2002 (3-2 loss away followed by a 1-0 home win for an away goals victory), Krylia Sovetov Samara in 2009 (1-0 home win and 3-2 defeat away for an away goals victory), twice in 2011 IBV (1-0 loss away with 2-0 home win) and Shakhtyor Karagandy (2-1 loss away and 2-0 win at home) and 2012 away goals victory over IBV (1-0 loss at home with 2-1 win away).

Mark Doyle’s late goal last week off the bench in the first leg very much gives St. Pat’s a fighting chance of progressing.

Dudelange went 1-0 up through Oege-Sietse Van Lingen in the 24th minute and they doubled their advantage after the hour mark thanks to Yahcuroo Roemer before Doyle grabbed his goal three minutes into second half injury time.

Jon Daly said: “We know what Dudelange are like now and what they're about.

"They have some very good players that we need to be mindful of and we need to defend certain situations better but we're very confident we can score goals and that we can try our best to get through."

The Saints, who sit second in the League of Ireland table just four points off top spot, have best home record in the league this season and their 47 league goals home and away make them joint scoreers.

Chris Forrester speaking to stpatsfc.com ahead of the match said: “It'll be a big game for us, a big occasion.

"Mark's goal has kept us in the tie, two goals down would make it difficult but we're only one goal behind now.”

F91 DUDELANGE

Dudelange have yet to start league action in Luxembourg so Pat’s will be hoping that the League of Ireland summer season will be to the home team’s advantage against a side who lost 4-0 on aggregate to Bohs in 2021.

They have competed in the Europa League group stages (in 2018 and 2019) and went four rounds in Europe last year.

As Luxembourg champions they entered the Champions League in the first qualifying round where they beat Tirana 3-1 on aggregate before losing in the second qualifying round to Armenian side Pyunik 4-2.

They then entered the Europa League at the third round qualifier stage when they exited 5-2 score on aggregate against Malmo. Their participation in the play-off stages of the Europa Conference League was later ended by Polish side Lech Poznan who beat them 3-1 on aggregate.

Dudelange qualified for this season’s Europa Conference League qualifiers by finishing third in their domestic league last season.

They played a total of 30 games in the 15-team league and amassed 67 points, ten adrift of title winners Swift Hesperange.

Referee: Edgars Maļcevs (Latvia)

He has refereed St. Pat’s before having taken charge of Pats v Waterford in the League of Ireland in 2019.

MATCH STATS

The winners of this first qualifying round tie will then be paired with the winners of the Glentoran v FC Griza tie in the second qualifying round. The first leg of that match finished 2-2 in Malta.

Chris Forrester is the top scorer in the League of Ireland Premier Division so far this season with 11 strikes from his 25 appearances.

PREDICTION

1-0 home win AET – St. Patrick’s Athletic to win on penalties

St. Patrick’s Athletic

Injured: Joe Redmon, Tom Grivosti, Axel Sjoberg, Kian Leavy

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

F91 Dudelange

Injured: n/a

Doubtful: n/a

Suspended: None

Additional reporting by Patrick O Connor

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