Shamrock Rovers set for Molde challenge in Conference League play-off
Molde and Shamrock Rovers lining out in the Europa Conference Credit: Macdara Ferris (ETPhotos)
Shamrock Rovers have been drawn to face Norwegian side Molde in the UEFA Conference League knockout phase play-offs, with matches scheduled to take place on 13 and 20 February 2025.
The first leg will be played away, with the return leg at Tallaght Stadium a week later. The kick-off times will be announced on 31 January 2025.
The draw marks an exciting challenge for Rovers as they continue their European campaign. If they manage to overcome Molde, they will progress to the round of 16, where they will face either Cercle Brugge or Legia Warsaw for a place in the quarter-finals.
Molde, who finished 23rd in the league, started their campaign with a 3-0 over Irish League side Larne. That was followed by defeats to Gent, Jagiellonia and APOEL. A 2-2 draw with HJK and a dramatic 4-3 win over Mlada Boleslav saw the Norwegian team scrape into the playoff places.
The winners of the play-off round will join the eight teams who topped their groups in the league phase of the competition. Those already through to the last 16 include Cercle Brugge, Chelsea, Djurgården, Fiorentina, Legia Warsaw, Lugano, Rapid Vienna, and Vitória SC.
Following the play-offs, the round of 16 matches will take place in March, with quarter-finals in April, semi-finals in May, and the final scheduled for 28 May in Wrocław, Poland.
Ireland, positioned 32nd in the 2025 UEFA Country Rankings, is one of just four nations in the lower tier of the rankings with a team still active in European competition. The only countries ranked below Ireland with representatives remaining are Iceland (33rd), Bosnia (36th), and Latvia (37th).
The rest of the draw was as follows:
Gent vs Real Betis
TSC vs Jagiellonia
Celje vs APOEL
Víkingur R. vs Panathinaikos
Copenhagen vs Heidenheim
Molde vs Shamrock Rovers
Omonoia vs Pafos
Borac vs Olimpija
