Shamrock Rovers vs St Joseph’s Prediction: The Saints have no choice but to attack

Shamrock Rovers welcome St Joseph’s FC to the Tallaght Stadium on Thursday (20:00) for the second leg of their Conference League second-round qualifier. The 21-time League of Ireland champions won the first leg 4-0, which will settle the nerves ahead of this home return.

St Joseph’s came through the first round with a 5-4 aggregate win over Cliftonville. Should they do the unthinkable here, it will be the furthest they have ever gone in a European competition.

Here are my Shamrock Rovers vs St Joseph’s predictions ahead of this Conference League tie.

Team News

Rovers manager Stephen Bradley will have his full squad available apart from new signing Connor Malley. The former Middlesbrough midfielder was unable to be registered in time to play a part tonight.

That means Matt Healy and Danny Mandroiu are likely to retain their places in the middle of the park. Striker John McGovern netted from the bench in the first leg and also scored in a 1-0 friendly win over Ballymena at the weekend. Bradley might give the new man a chance to add to his tally from the start tonight.

Football Odds

St Joseph’s typically set up in a 4-3-3 shape. Former Granada youth player Pablo Rodriguez operates as the focal point, flanked by veteran wide man Alvaro Rey and Adrian Armental. Gibraltar national team goalkeeper Bradley Banda is a fixture between the posts. 

With no league action to contend with at the weekend, I expect St Joseph’s to throw everything at this, in terms of selection and approach.

Shamrock Rovers vs St Joseph’s Odds

Rovers are 1/5 to win in 90 minutes which gives them an 83.3% implied probability of victory. St Joseph’s have a mountain to climb, as their 12/1 price reflects. A draw on the night is priced at 9/2.

Both Teams To Score @ 5/4

A bold choice perhaps, especially considering how heavily the Gibraltan side have been annihilated in continental qualifying in the past. Rangers managed 10-0 on aggregate in the 2019/20 Europa League. Slavia Prague went one better, winning 11-0 across two legs back in 2022/23.

But, with respect, Shamrock Rovers are not quite as fearsome as those two historic European sides. Yes, the Hoops have a 4-0 lead and are at home. But St Joseph’s need to go all-out here to get even close to going through.

It is a free hit for The Saints. I feel they are more likely to go searching for goals than to sit off and accept their fate. St Joseph’s have lost 3-2 and won 5-4, both on aggregate, in their last two European qualifying ties. 

Sure, they have a leaky defence. But there is a goal in this team. Against slightly-less dangerous opponents than Rangers or Slavia, I think they’ll score it.

To Win Both Halves - Shamrock Rovers @ 7/5

With that being said, I do expect the League of Ireland side to be comfortable here. They are used to a higher standard of opposition. Ireland sits 31st in the Uefa co-efficient rankings, with Gibraltar one place above bottom in 54th. The week-to-week levels are completely different.

Shamrock currently sit top of the table domestically, with third-placed Derry City visiting on Sunday. They might take their foot off the gas a little here as a result. But this is still European football and Bradley will want the job done right. I think Rovers will lead early and add at least one or two against tired legs in the second half.

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.