Soccer

Shamrock Rovers draw Vikingur Reykjavík in the first round of Champions League qualifying

Beating the Icelandic champions would guarantee a third round Europa League qualifying tie

Richie Towell of Shamrock Rovers. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho
Richie Towell of Shamrock Rovers. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho
David Gorman
Tue Jun 18 2024 - 15:27

Shamrock Rovers have been drawn with Vikingur Reykjavík from Iceland in the first round of qualifying for the Champions League.

It is the second year in a row that the Irish champions have been drawn to face the champions of Iceland, last year they were beaten 3-1 on aggregate by Breidablik.

Vikingur won the Icelandic league playoffs by 11 points last season, winning 21 out of 27 games and lead Breidablik this season by three points. Their squad features eight Icelandic internationals, although none featured in the team that beat England in a friendly before the European Championships.

Progressing to the second round would guarantee a third round Europa League qualifying tie as well as a play-off for the Conference League. Lose the match and Rovers will drop to the second round of the Conference. The games will be played July 9th and 10th, and 16th and 17th.

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David Gorman

David Gorman

David Gorman is a sports journalist with The Irish Times