Stephen Bradley juggling Athens challenge with Cup final pursuit

BALANCING ACT: Balancing the demands of their Conference League trip to AEK Athens on Thursday with a double chance 72 hours later is bearable for Stephen Bradley. Picture: INTIME Sports/Sportsfile

Balancing the demands of their Conference League trip to AEK Athens on Thursday with a double chance 72 hours later is bearable for Stephen Bradley.

His Shamrock Rovers squad will be back on a four-hour flight from Athens directly after this, their third game of the league phase to reach the midway point.

After opening the series with defeats to Sparta Prague (1-4) and Celje (0-2), points are an urgent necessity if the Hoops are to retrieve any hope of replicating last year’s progress to the last-16 playoff.

AEK put six past Aberdeen without reply in their last Conference League outing. Faced with a strikeforce of Serbian Luka Jović, a €60m purchase for Real Madrid six years ago, and Haitian international Frantzdy Pierrot, another evening on the backfoot is likely.

It won’t get easier in the European schedule, for they welcome Ukrainian powerhouses Shakhtar Donetsk to Tallaght on November 27. The most attainable matches for results appear to be at the back end in December, away to Breidablik (Iceland) before hosting Hamrun Spartans (Malta).

“It’s why you want to do so well domestically by winning leagues,” said Rovers boss Bradley after clinching their fifth title in six years.

“When everyone else is winding down, we’re getting ready for a European game in Athens and a cup final on Sunday.” 

His squad depth will be stretched to its limited and consideration must be devoted to the allure of completing a first double for 38 years. Cork City awaits the Hoops in Sunday’s Cup decider at Lansdowne Road.

“We know how important Sunday is to the fans but we have the experience of being in this situation of a quick turnaround,” reasoned the Hoops boss, who could restore Leesider Josh Honohan to his XI following injury.

AEK boss Marko Nikolic wasn’t indulging the lazy stereotype of Celtic countries being of similar style.

“I don't see a connection between the two teams,” he said of the Scottish and Irish challenges. “Before the match against Aberdeen I had in mind that they are a team structured with different characteristics compared to Shamrock Rovers.

“Their mentality is their strongest point because they feel comfortable with themselves. We must watch out for them on the counterattack.” 

Nikolic intends to unleash his lethal duo at the 32,000-capacity OPAP Arena, stating: “Everyone knows that I really like having two classic strikers. We only have two healthy ones in good condition so it might be dangerous to use them together from the start. We will do it at some point.”