Stephen Bradley: We must be ruthless against Swedes

By Paul Buttner

As he did in the first leg in Dublin, Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley believes his side can ask questions of superior Swedish opponents AIK in tonight’s Europa League first qualifying round second leg in Stockholm’s magnificent Friends Arena (live on eirSport 1, 6pm).

Bradley just wants his players to show a more clinical edge as they look to overturn a 1-0 deficit.

A brief lapse in concentration cost Rovers the first leg at Tallaght Stadium, as Daniel Sundgren provided that composed finish the League of Ireland side lacked to give the unbeaten Allsvenskan leaders a narrow, though deserved, win.

“We believe we can go and cause them problems like we did [in Dublin],” said Bradley. “We believed we could score at home and nothing has changed.

“I don’t think we surprised them in the first leg. They watched us in our three previous games. I think they fully understood that they were playing a decent side.”

Bradley accepts it’s a tall order against a team that fielded eight senior internationals last week.

AIK have since added veteran midfielder Sebastian Larsson, who made his 104th appearance for Sweden against England in the World Cup quarter-final in Russia, though he’s not registered to play tonight.

“We’re up against it. You can’t say anything different,” said Bradley. “We’re away to play a good side who obviously have the advantage, but, as I said, we believe we can cause them problems, like we did at home.

“We just need to be more ruthless in the final third and believe we can score,” added Bradley who remains without injured midfielder Brandon Miele and striker Sean Boyd.