Shamrock Rovers vs Víkingur Reykjavík prediction 16.07.2024 | Champions League

• Competition: Champions League Qualifiers, 1st Round, 2nd Leg
• Date: Tuesday, 16th July, 2024
• Kickoff: 20:00 UK / 21:00 CEST
• Venue: Tallaght Stadium (Dublin)

Following a goalless draw in the first leg in Iceland, Shamrock Rovers and Vikingur Reykjavik will face off in the second leg of Champions League Qualifiers at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin.

Shamrock Rovers are the greatest club in the Republic of Ireland and by far the best team in recent seasons. They won four previous titles, but this season isn't going according to plan - far from it. They are fourth with 34 points, already 13 points away from the top spot. Even though they were dominant in the domestic league, that wasn't the case in European Qualifiers, as the Rovers secured the Group phase (of the Conference League) just once in the previous decade. Even though they secured a draw in the first leg, the Rovers had really poor performance and will need a radical change to have a chance of beating the Icelandic champs.

Vikingur Reykjavik are on the rise. They won two of the last three league titles and the previous three Icelandic Cups. This year, Vikingur are playing great. They reached the Cup Finals and are holding the top spot in the domestic league with a five-point advantage over second-placed Valur. In Europe, Vikingur were terrible and have never reached the group phase of any European competition. In the first leg this year, Vikingur were much better than Shamrock but still failed to win, and now the bookies see Shamrock as the favorite to qualify for the second round.

Shamrock Rovers vs Víkingur Reykjavík pick: Under 2.5 goals

In the first leg, Vikingur totally dominated the game. They had 73% ball possession but still failed to create good goalscoring chances. In fact, for the entire 90 minutes, neither team managed to shoot at the goal!

In recent games, Shamrock Rovers played mostly low-scoring games and were under 2.5 goals in seven of the previous eight games in all competitions, while scoring just five goals. Also, last season, when they played a lot better in the domestic league, the Rovers scored just once in four European Qualifier games. So, it is hard to expect a good offensive display against a team that totally outplayed them in the first leg.

On the other hand, although Vikingur were much better in the first leg, we are reluctant to bet on them to win since they have an atrocious road record in Europe. And if they failed to score at home in the first leg, we have significant doubts they will do it in the rematch.

Considering all the above, an under 2.5 goals bet should be the safest option for this Champions League Qualifiers match.