18.00 23 Jul 2015 - Odd Skien
Referee:
Europa League Preview: Odds Ballklub -v- Shamrock Rovers
- Macdara Ferris
- Thu, Jul 23 2015
ODDS BALLKLUBB
Odd have shown excellent form in the Europa League qualifiers that belie their recent league form – they are seventh place in Norway’s Tippeligaen – and the club’s minimal European experience. This is only their third season in Europe, their first in 11 years. In the first round, they dispatched FK Sheriff (not to be confused with AUL side Sheriff YC) 3-0 on aggregate. They went three goals up in the first-leg in Moldova in the first 30 minutes of the match to win only their second ever European game.
Odd came to Tallaght last week having earned only two points from their last four league games. The Hoops shut out the Norwegian side in the first-half and the visitors had Sondre Rossbach in the Odd goal to thank for keeping it level at the break with a fine save from Mikey Drennan mid-way through the half.
Odd manager Dag-Eilev Fagermo had his team set out 4-1-2-3. He switched his holding midfielder at the break after Ardian Gashi had gone in the book in the first-half. Having remonstrated with the Swiss referee about the yellow card, Fagermo no doubt felt it was safer to take Gashi off to minimize the chance of them going down to ten men in the second-half.
It was Olivier Occean who was the match winner on the night in Tallaght for the team from Skien, 130km south of Oslo. He scored a penalty on 53 minutes after Fredrik Nordvelle went down very easily in the box when challenged by Conor Kenna. The Canadian international got his second when his header, after a succession of Odd corners, just evaded Gary McCabe on the line. The 2-0 win for Odd was Rovers’ first defeat in Tallaght in 18 games, having gone just nine days shy of a full year unbeaten in the Dublin 24 venue.
Those two goals leave Odd favourites to reach the third qualifying round where either Danish side Randers or Elsborg from Sweden await the winner – those teams drew 0-0 in Denmark in the first-leg. The Norwegians, like Rovers, had no league game last weekend so they have been able to concentrate solely on this Europa League qualifier.
SHAMROCK ROVERS
Rovers face the difficult task of travelling to Norway looking to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit in this Europa League second qualifying round tie. History is not on the Hoops’ side as on the ten occasions Rovers have trailed going into the second-leg of a knock-out European tie, they have never won the game – they have three draws and seven defeats.
It has all been about Europe for the Hoops this month. Their last league game was back at the end of June, a 2-1 away win in Galway, and in the meantime, having postponed home league games against Bray Wanderers and Limerick, Rovers have been concentrating solely on Europa League qualification. Should they go out of Europe on Thursday, they will play Limerick in Tallaght Stadium this coming Sunday.
The Hoops deservedly won 3-0 against Progres Niederkorn in the first qualifying round having been happy enough to be drawn against a team with a lower UEFA coefficient. Odd are also lower in the rankings than Rovers, but having overcome the higher ranked FK Sheriff in the previous round, the Norwegians took their seeding into this second round qualifier.
With Conor Kenna back in the centre of defence for Rovers last week having recovered from injury, the Hoops certainly did look more solid than in recent games. Kenna will have felt hard done by when he conceded a second-half penalty, which resulted in a goal that changed the complexion of the first-leg. Up until then the Hoops had restricted Odd to few clear cut chances; Rovers probably had the better opportunities with Fredrik Nordvelle pulling off three top class saves.
However, the 19-year–old ‘keeper almost let in a goal when he allowed a Drennan shot to squirm through his grasp before he recovered to stop it trickling over the line. The Hoops may look to exploit the inexperienced ‘keeper by bringing Danny North into the starting XI up front for the second-leg. North has scored three Europa League qualifier goals in his career.
The Hoops continue to have a trio of injured Irish internationals with Stephen McPhail, Keith Fahey and recent signing Damien Duff all unavailable for this game, while the uncapped Sean O'Connor also misses out.
Olivier Occean’s second goal may well have put the tie beyond the reach of Rovers ahead of the trip to Skien, the city where Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen was born. Maybe the Hoops, having seen Odd up close in Tallaght, can put that to their advantage in the second-leg in the 12,500 capacity Skagerak Arena. With that in mind, some words of inspiration from Ibsen are perhaps appropriate: “The spectacles of experience; through them you will see clearly a second time.”
Referee: Marius Avram (Romania).
MATCH STATS
This season is the first time that Rovers have been drawn against Norwegian opposition in Europe but the ninth time clubs from these countries have come face-to-face in a European tie. League of Ireland sides have won just three matches, while Norwegian clubs have ten wins and there have been just two draws.
Last week’s game was the 11th European match played by Rovers in Tallaght Stadium – the same number the club have played in Dalymount Park.
Rovers' win over Progres Niederkorn in the last round was their 14th in Europe – the most wins of any League of Ireland club.
BETTING
Odd 2/5; Draw 7/2; Shamrock Rovers 6/1.
PREDICTION
1-1.
Odds Ballklubb
Injured: Unknown.
Doubtful: Unknown.
Suspended: None.
Shamrock Rovers
Injured: Keith Fahey, Stephen McPhail, Damien Duff, Sean O’Connor.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
About Macdara Ferris
Macdara Ferris is a contributor since 2007 to Hoops Scene (Shamrock Rovers' match day programme) and is the co-author of two books on Shamrock Rovers - 'Tallaght Time: Shamrock Rovers 2009 to 2012' (with Karl …