They won the Latvian league-and-cup double in 2018, and continue to lead the league this season - much like Dundalk in the League of Ireland.

Ahead of today’s curtain-raising President’s Cup against Dundalk (Turner’s Cross 5.30pm), Cork City boss John Caulfield tells Liam Mackey why he’s excited but also worried about the season ahead

Jose Mourinho has enjoyed some remarkable days at Stamford Bridge — in fact it took him 78 matches to even lose a game there as manager — but as he returns to west London with struggling Manchester United today, he will be aware of some pretty painful memories, not least two sackings after poor performances at a ground he once called home.

Where to begin with an overview of the state of the Danish national team before the Nations League match in Dublin today?

Celtic 1 Rosenborg 0

Brendan Rodgers wants his players to demand more of themselves in front of goal when Celtic take on Rosenborg in their opening Europa League Group B game on Thursday.

Arsenal can compete for the Europa League title but the players must first cope with the long-distance travel during their group-stage matches, warned manager Unai Emery yesterday.

Boom! Boom! And out went the lights in Europe for Irish football this season, writes Liam Mackey

Damien Delaney and Garry Buckley are both doubts for Cork City's Europa League third-round qualifier first leg against Rosenborg tomorrow evening.

Your lunchtime headlines:

Celtic all but secured their place in the second Champions League qualifying round following a commanding 3-0 win against Alashkert in the searing heat of Yerevan.

City are embarking on their first Champions League campaign in 12 years.

There will be no marquee meeting with Celtic for Cork City in the first round of the Champions League but Ireland’s title-holders will still face tough opposition when the pairings are finalised at the draw in Switzerland this morning.

Dundalk FC investor Corey Woolfolk insists the club can follow in Rosenborg’s footsteps by earning themselves the upgrade of Oriel Park that most supporters crave.

Denmark’s players — including Christian Eriksen — were all in agreement that class told in the end as Ireland’s World Cup ambitions came to a crashing halt in the most humiliating circumstances.

An understrength Arsenal side survived a late fightback from BATE Borisov to secure a 4-2 victory in Belarus.

Last night the League of Ireland’s top two produced the latest episode of their ongoing anthology and there’ll be plenty more chapters to run.

Brendan Rodgers claims complacency is not an issue as Celtic prepare to defend their healthy 5-0 Champions League play-off lead in Astana.

Boss Brendan Rodgers claims complacency is not an issue as Celtic prepare to defend their healthy 5-0 Champions League play-off lead in Astana.

Brendan Rodgers reckons his nerveless Celtic side are ready to show Astana just how much they have matured since last year's Champions League clashes.

Boss Brendan Rodgers believes the clean sheet Celtic take into their Champions League qualifier against Rosenborg on Wednesday night could be crucial.

Celtic have confirmed they will reopen the Green Brigade section of their stadium after Saturday's league opener - but some fans will remain suspended.

Celtic 0 Rosenborg 0: Celtic’s bid to reach the Champions League group stages stuttered with a goalless draw against Rosenborg in the first leg of their third-round qualifier at Parkhead.

Brendan Rodgers has called for the Green Brigade to leave politics out of Celtic Park.

Dundalk 0 Shamrock Rovers 1: Less than 72 hours after crashing out of Europe, Shamrock Rovers took a significant step towards a return to the Europa League next season with a first league win over Dundalk at Oriel Park in almost six years — and put another dent into any lingering hopes the champions may have had of catching Cork City.

Rosenborg 2 - 1 Dundalk (a.e.t - Rosenborg win 3-2 on agg.) Matthias Vilhjalmsson’s header in extra-time and the top of the crossbar denied Dundalk a stunning result against Rosenborg at the Lerkendal Stadion last night as their European dreams came to a cruel end in Norway.

Not much has gone right for Dundalk FC since the club departed for Norway on Monday ahead of their Champions League second qualifying round second leg tie with Rosenborg but manager Stephen Kenny is confident everything will go according to plan on the field at the Lerkandal Stadion this evening.

Dundalk could set up a mouth-watering tie with Celtic

Dundalk will have to repeat their feat of 12 months ago and score away in Scandinavia next week if they are to embark on another European adventure.

Back when Stephen Kenny last faced Rosenborg in the Champions League as manager of Bohemians in 2003, the Norwegians were the team most League of Ireland sides wanted to emulate.

Bohemians 0 Dundalk 1: Ciaran Kildfuff came off the bench to score an 89th-minute winner to give Dundalk a fifth straight league victory and break valiant Bohemians’ hearts in an intriguing Premier Division clash at Dalymount Park.

Dundalk 2 Galway Utd 0: Goals in either half from Dane Massey and Patrick McEleney saw Dundalk continue their positive momentum at Oriel Park last night as they left Galway Utd rooted to the bottom of the Premier Division.

Dundalk 4

Here's what you need to know.

Cork City will play Levadia Tallinn in the First Qualifying Round of this year’s Europa League.

A four-goal comeback in the Champions League sounds like fantasy football, and maybe it is — but Carlo Ancelotti has been on the receiving end.

Stephen Kenny will be in Poland tomorrow to watch Legia Warsaw host Piast Gliwice as Dundalk accelerate preparations for their huge Champions League play-off games against the Polish champions at Aviva Stadium on August 17 and in Warsaw on August 23.

To say victory over Porto is a definite turning point in Chelsea’s season — or even that it has saved Jose Mourinho’s job — would perhaps be overstating the point given the size of their problems, but it has certainly changed the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge and prevented history repeating itself.

Ireland 0 Norway 0: Ireland’s U21s completed 2015 with a stalemate against a powerful Norway side at the Waterford RSC last night.

Tottenham 2  Qarabag 1 Europa League Group J