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Irish champions Shamrock Rovers welcome Ararat-Armenia to the Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday for the conclusion of their Champions League second-round qualifying tie.
Needing to overturn a 2-0 deficit, the onus is more on the hosts to take the fight to their visitors, who only need to protect their first-leg advantage to progress into the next round.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Shamrock Rovers vs. Ararat-Armenia key stats
- Shamrock Rovers have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last five matches.
- The hosts are unbeaten in their last five competitive home matches.
- Ararat-Armenia have opened the scoring in five of their last six matches.
Shamrock Rovers vs. Ararat-Armenia preview: Can Shamrock Rovers pull off another rescue mission?
Shamrock Rovers vs. Ararat-Armenia — Tale of the Tape
| Shamrock Rovers | vs | Ararat-Armenia |
|---|---|---|
| 1st (Irish Premier Division) | Position | N/A |
| 50 | Points | N/A |
| 40 | Goals For | N/A |
| 22 | Goals Against | N/A |
| 9 | Clean Sheets | N/A |
| 2nd | Home / Away Rank | N/A |
Shamrock Rovers have left themselves with work to do for the second consecutive Champions League tie after a poor second-half display in Yerevan saw them fall to a 2-0 defeat at Vzagen Sargsyan Republican Stadium last Tuesday.
However, Stephen Bradley's side can draw inspiration from their recent round-one meeting with Floriana, where they overturned a 2-0 deficit to progress 5-3 on aggregate thanks to a resounding 5-1 second-leg victory.
Having suffered second-round exits in three of their last six Champions League qualifying campaigns, the Hoops have little margin for error in Tuesday's decider. Fortunately, they have a solid home record to rely on.
Shamrock last lost at home in May and have since scored 14 goals in five competitive matches at Tallaght Stadium, including nine across their two July fixtures so far.
The Irish giants could boost their chances of another comeback by tightening up defensively, but with no clean sheet in their last five matches, Shamrock may need to rely on their attacking firepower to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
After exiting at the first hurdle in each of their previous two Champions League qualifying campaigns, Ararat-Armenia survived a major scare against Riga this time around, edging a 4-3 aggregate victory despite a 3-2 defeat in the second leg.
Manuel Tulipa's side scored both of their goals in the aforementioned game after half time, and their second-half resilience was on display again in the 2-0 win over Shamrock Rovers, courtesy of goals from Sandro Lima and Zidane Banjaqui.
Already breaking new ground by reaching the second round, the Black-and-Whites are aiming to make further history in their quest to become the first Armenian team to reach the Champions League proper.
As the saying goes, a 2-0 lead is the most dangerous in football, and Ararat-Armenia know there is still work to do.
Scoring the opening goal on Tuesday – something they have done in five of their last six matches – should all but secure their passage to the next round.
Shamrock Rovers vs. Ararat-Armenia form guide & betting tips
| Shamrock Rovers | vs | Ararat-Armenia |
|---|---|---|
WLWWL |
Form | WLW |
| 11 | Goals For | 6 |
| 7 | Goals Against | 3 |
LWL |
Champions League qualification | WLW |
Whispers predicts: Shamrock Rovers 2-1 Ararat-Armenia
Given what is at stake, Shamrock Rovers will be fully motivated to perform at their best, and we back them to secure victory here at 17/20 (1.85).
However, the hosts' defensive vulnerabilities could be exposed again, so BTTS – Yes at 2/3 (1.67) looks a strong selection.
John McGovern has scored in each of his last three home appearances for Shamrock, and he will be key if his side are to progress. We fancy the 23-year-old to find the net again.
> Home to win at 17/20 (1.85) | Likelihood: Possible
> Both teams to score at at 2/3 (1.67) | Likelihood: Probable
> John McGovern to score | Likelihood: Outsider