League of Ireland in Europe 2015

**Pablo Escobar** · 09/07/2015, 8:54 AM

What are the chances of a last minute deflected winner by Dundalk against BATE?

**D24Saint** · 09/07/2015, 10:25 AM

Best of luck to UCD & Cork City tonight lets hope all three of us can make it through.

**DannyInvincible** · 09/07/2015, 10:30 AM

Good luck to all teams this eve. Each has a very real chance of progression.

**patrickccfc** · 09/07/2015, 10:34 AM

Best of luck to pats and ucd tonight. All three ties are delicately poised and hopefully all three of us can get through

**PartySaint** · 09/07/2015, 11:38 AM

I'm hoping that at least 2 LOI clubs can go through tonight (Pats and one other) but I fear that all 3 are going out

**oriel** · 09/07/2015, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by Pablo Escobar

What are the chances of a last minute deflected winner by Dundalk against BATE?

Hopefully good..................joking aside, if we can take the game back home and still be in the tie, I think that would be more than any Dlk fan could hope for.

This time last year, Id say not many Pats fans would have thought they would be minutes away from winning in Warsaw, so who knows, but its going to be very difficult.

Best of luck to Pats, UCD and Cork. I'd say Cork probably have the hardest task, but if they can score first, they will have a great chance.

**nigel-harps1954** · 09/07/2015, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by Pablo Escobar

What are the chances of a last minute deflected winner by Dundalk against BATE?

"Dundalk leave it late to master BATE".

**Nesta99** · 09/07/2015, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

"Dundalk leave it late to master BATE".

Red card! Get off the pitch!!

**Nailor** · 09/07/2015, 12:30 PM

Would be great to see all three go through, but I think only Pat's will manage it.

**nigel-harps1954** · 09/07/2015, 12:47 PM

UCD will go through. They're not the type of team to sit back and defend a short lead and will go and score at least one there.

Cork need an early goal. I'd fear Caulfield will set them up to be rather negative though and it'll go against them. They need to utilise the quality midfield they have and go at KR, hit them on the break and put them to bed early.

Pat's should grab a goal or two, but I'd worry about their defence. Skonto aren't a great side, but they're not bad either. I'd worry about this one the most.

**patrickccfc** · 09/07/2015, 1:12 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Cork need an early goal.They need to utilise the quality midfield they have and go at KR, hit them on the break and put them to bed early.

Agree with this. If we go at them and get control of the midfield then we can cause them problems. I think we'll need 2 goals tonight

**Nailor** · 09/07/2015, 1:24 PM

Originally Posted by patrickccfc

Agree with this. If we go at them and get control of the midfield then we can cause them problems. I think we'll need 2 goals tonight

Is this on Sellatanta tonight ?

**patrickccfc** · 09/07/2015, 1:27 PM

Originally Posted by Nailor

Is this on Sellatanta tonight ?

Yup setanta Ireland at 8:15

**MeathDrog** · 09/07/2015, 2:03 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

UCD will go through. They're not the type of team to sit back and defend a short lead and will go and score at least one there.

Cork need an early goal. I'd fear Caulfield will set them up to be rather negative though and it'll go against them. They need to utilise the quality midfield they have and go at KR, hit them on the break and put them to bed early.

Pat's should grab a goal or two, but I'd worry about their defence. Skonto aren't a great side, but they're not bad either. I'd worry about this one the most.

I think the bookies are being way too harsh on UCD. They were fairly battered in the first half last week and scored against the run of play, but they were much more comfortable in the 2nd half and should have won by more. I'd be confident that they'll grab a goal and I can't see Dudelange scoring 3.

**Nesta99** · 09/07/2015, 2:11 PM

I feel the surprise factor helped UCD and now that they have been found out to be quite capable of playing ball they wont be under estimated again. So I think they will be under a lot of pressure and will only go through with some luck and backs t the wall defending.

Pats have no reason at all not to fully expect to win this home leg. Riga are not a great side and it was slack enough for Pats to go behind away. If they play at 70% of what they can do then they will go through comfortably.

Cork is a tough one to call. Caulfield wouldn't have that much experience of coaching in Europe I think(?) so if he treats this much the same as an away domestic game then they're out. There is no doubt that Cork have a better standard of player especially in midfield so if they are let play they should get back in to the tie. One thing Cork dont want is to have the game go in to extra-time as there is a few old legs that might struggle. I hope the Dennehey stuff hasnt disrupted things too. All being said Cork City should be beating KR but I shall give them a free pass this season if they go out then use the experience next season.

If all our clubs in Europe, including Dundalk, play without that inferiority complex (Pats looked a bit shell shocked initially when they were outplaying Legia last year) this could be a really positive year for LoI in Europe.

Even the Irish League have done something so far. Linfield are through, Crues could go another round but i'm not so sure that Albanian football is as weak as some would assume - they went out to BATE as it happens last season on away goals after a 1-1 draw at home and 0-0 away (hopefully due to Belarus football not actually being that much at all!!

). Glenavon grabbing that late goal at home to Soligorsk gives them a slim chance if they score first in Belarus tonight. If anyone happens to find a stream for that game please post it up!! Glentoran are gone after the home leg with Zilina.

Aberdeen are struggling a bit after the away draw against Macedonian opposition, and only Newtown of the Welsh look like going through v Valetta with Bala 3-1 down to Lux opposition.

**Charlie Darwin** · 09/07/2015, 2:18 PM

Irish sides have faced Luxembourg sides three times so far and haven't conceded a goal, and in truth haven't really looked like conceding either except from their own mistakes. UCD probably will concede over there but they're good enough to score and if they do the tie is over because Dudelange don't have three goals in them. They're even worse than the crowd Rovers faced and just as ugly.

**Real ale Madrid** · 09/07/2015, 2:33 PM

For an added interest I've gone for:

UCD (+2) Evens
Soligorsk (-2) 5/4
Linfield Win Evens
St. Pats Win 8/13
€10 @13.5/1

**paykanti** · 09/07/2015, 3:25 PM

Why would Cork need to change their usual approach of grinding out games? The usual 1-0 95th minute Dan Murray header will do, no need to start playing tiki-taka, especially without the Dennehys and Kavanagh.