HAVING HOME ADVANTAGE in the first leg of a European tie in which there’s likely to be little between the teams requires the hosts to perform a tricky balancing act.
It’s crucial to gain the ascendancy in order to bring something valuable away from home for the second leg, but perhaps even more important is the need to deny the opposition an away goal which could ultimately prove to be the difference in a tight contest.
That’ll be the scenario facing Dundalk when they enter the Champions League in the second qualifying round this evening. Stephen Kenny’s side welcome Icelandic champions FH Hafnarfjordur to Oriel Park (7.45pm).
“It’s always the danger that you don’t want to be going in too heavy and leaving yourself exposed,” Dundalk midfielder Chris Shields told The42 ahead of the visit of the side from Reykjavik, who won their domestic league for the seventh time in 12 years last season.
“We know how important away goals are in these types of fixtures so this first game will probably be like a bit of a boxing match. It’ll be two boxers who have never met before trying to feel each other out for the first few minutes, I’d imagine.”
Hafnarfjordur didn’t have any players in the Iceland squad that starred recently at Euro 2016, although they do have several internationals to call upon, including midfielders Emil Palsson and Thorarinn Ingi Valdimarsson — both of whom were capped as recently as January.
Palsson was the domestic player of the year in Iceland in 2015, while former Rangers striker Steven Lennon — who had a brief spell with Dundalk in 2010 — was Hafnarfjordur’s top goalscorer.
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After bridging a three-year gap to win the seventh Urvalsdeild Karla — Iceland’s top division — in their history last season, Hafnarfjordur are currently on track to retain their title. Approaching the midway point of the season, they’re two points clear at the top.
Sam Hewson, who was once on the books at Manchester United, now plies his trade with FH Hafnarfjordur. John Walton / EMPICS Sport
John Walton / EMPICS Sport / EMPICS Sport
“We’ve done a fair bit of homework on them,” Shields said. “We always have since Stephen came in. No matter who we play, we do our homework on the opposition. These are no different. We don’t really know a whole lot about the Icelandic league but we’ve done a fair bit of work on them over the past week or so.”
Dundalk experienced the other side of the coin at the same stage of the Champions League last year. The Lilywhites brought an away goal back from Belarus following a 2-1 first-leg defeat to BATE Borisov.
They were unable to capitalise in the return fixture, which ended goalless, but Shields insists that they learned plenty from going right down to the wire with a team who went on to reach the group stages for the fifth time in 11 seasons.
“It was a massive learning curve,” explained Shields. “They’re an established Champions League side and they’re in nearly every year now. They didn’t disgrace themselves by any means in the group stages in the end.
“But we know there wasn’t a whole lot in that tie. It was only one goal and maybe we could even have snatched it. We have to take from that because most of the squad from that game are still here, so that’ll only benefit us.”
Ahead of tonight’s game, Dundalk are distinctly aware that their opponents hail from a nation where football is moving rapidly in the right direction. Iceland defied all logic and bookmakers’ odds by reaching the quarter-finals at Euro 2016, but Icelandic club sides have also become more competitive in European competitions in recent years.
David McMillan dejected after Dundalk's Champions League elimination at the hands of BATE Borisov last year. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Shields: “As a footballing nation they’re on the up, as we understand. These will be confident anyway, especially as they were champions in Iceland last year and they’re leading it again at the moment.
“They do seem to have fair few very good footballers in their squad, so we won’t be underestimating them at all. But definitely if we look at how well Iceland played at the Euros, that probably filters through to the league as well.”
This Dundalk side won back-to-back Premier Division titles for the first time in the club’s history last year, and with a six-point lead over second-placed Cork City, few would bet against them making it three in succession in October.
A positive showing in the Champions League is a priority, but they’re keen to ensure that success on the European front doesn’t come at the expense of their domestic dominance.
“We want both,” he said. “If we had a good run in Europe but then allowed that to negatively impact us in the league, we’d be disappointed in ourselves. Stephen has driven that into us. Progressing in Europe is high on our list of ambitions but we know how important the league is as well.
“Our aim is to do our stuff domestically and in Europe. The next game is always the most important one, so as of this moment we’re fully focused on Europe.”
Dundalk out to avoid becoming the latest victims of the rise of Icelandic football
HAVING HOME ADVANTAGE in the first leg of a European tie in which there’s likely to be little between the teams requires the hosts to perform a tricky balancing act.
It’s crucial to gain the ascendancy in order to bring something valuable away from home for the second leg, but perhaps even more important is the need to deny the opposition an away goal which could ultimately prove to be the difference in a tight contest.
That’ll be the scenario facing Dundalk when they enter the Champions League in the second qualifying round this evening. Stephen Kenny’s side welcome Icelandic champions FH Hafnarfjordur to Oriel Park (7.45pm).
“It’s always the danger that you don’t want to be going in too heavy and leaving yourself exposed,” Dundalk midfielder Chris Shields told The42 ahead of the visit of the side from Reykjavik, who won their domestic league for the seventh time in 12 years last season.
“We know how important away goals are in these types of fixtures so this first game will probably be like a bit of a boxing match. It’ll be two boxers who have never met before trying to feel each other out for the first few minutes, I’d imagine.”
Hafnarfjordur didn’t have any players in the Iceland squad that starred recently at Euro 2016, although they do have several internationals to call upon, including midfielders Emil Palsson and Thorarinn Ingi Valdimarsson — both of whom were capped as recently as January.
Palsson was the domestic player of the year in Iceland in 2015, while former Rangers striker Steven Lennon — who had a brief spell with Dundalk in 2010 — was Hafnarfjordur’s top goalscorer.
After bridging a three-year gap to win the seventh Urvalsdeild Karla — Iceland’s top division — in their history last season, Hafnarfjordur are currently on track to retain their title. Approaching the midway point of the season, they’re two points clear at the top.
“We’ve done a fair bit of homework on them,” Shields said. “We always have since Stephen came in. No matter who we play, we do our homework on the opposition. These are no different. We don’t really know a whole lot about the Icelandic league but we’ve done a fair bit of work on them over the past week or so.”
Dundalk experienced the other side of the coin at the same stage of the Champions League last year. The Lilywhites brought an away goal back from Belarus following a 2-1 first-leg defeat to BATE Borisov.
They were unable to capitalise in the return fixture, which ended goalless, but Shields insists that they learned plenty from going right down to the wire with a team who went on to reach the group stages for the fifth time in 11 seasons.
“It was a massive learning curve,” explained Shields. “They’re an established Champions League side and they’re in nearly every year now. They didn’t disgrace themselves by any means in the group stages in the end.
“But we know there wasn’t a whole lot in that tie. It was only one goal and maybe we could even have snatched it. We have to take from that because most of the squad from that game are still here, so that’ll only benefit us.”
Ahead of tonight’s game, Dundalk are distinctly aware that their opponents hail from a nation where football is moving rapidly in the right direction. Iceland defied all logic and bookmakers’ odds by reaching the quarter-finals at Euro 2016, but Icelandic club sides have also become more competitive in European competitions in recent years.
Shields: “As a footballing nation they’re on the up, as we understand. These will be confident anyway, especially as they were champions in Iceland last year and they’re leading it again at the moment.
“They do seem to have fair few very good footballers in their squad, so we won’t be underestimating them at all. But definitely if we look at how well Iceland played at the Euros, that probably filters through to the league as well.”
This Dundalk side won back-to-back Premier Division titles for the first time in the club’s history last year, and with a six-point lead over second-placed Cork City, few would bet against them making it three in succession in October.
A positive showing in the Champions League is a priority, but they’re keen to ensure that success on the European front doesn’t come at the expense of their domestic dominance.
“We want both,” he said. “If we had a good run in Europe but then allowed that to negatively impact us in the league, we’d be disappointed in ourselves. Stephen has driven that into us. Progressing in Europe is high on our list of ambitions but we know how important the league is as well.
“Our aim is to do our stuff domestically and in Europe. The next game is always the most important one, so as of this moment we’re fully focused on Europe.”
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