Shelbourne v Bucharest, Tolka Park, 7.30: Behind the scenes, there are probably those at Shelbourne who quietly accept that, with the club's pride in tact after the comprehensive defeat of Glentoran, tonight's encounter with Steaua Bucharest is a case of Pat Fenlon's men embarking on a mission improbable, even if they won't lack vocal support with only 1,000 tickets left for tonight's tie.

Like Bohemians two years ago, when they came up against Rosenborg, this year's Champions League entrants have been unfortunate to draw so strong a side in the second round and there's little enough to suggest that they can overcome a team that includes five Romanian internationals and last year beat CSKA Sofia, Parma and Valencia on their way to the last 16 of the UEFA Cup.

Still, in the blockbuster action thrillers, the odds always looked to be stacked heavily against our heroes before things finally come good and a key ingredient in the fightback is usually a touch of overconfidence on the part of the opposition. This, some at Tolka Park feel, was in evidence when the draw was made in Nyon a few weeks ago and Steaua's representative declared his club comfortable favourites to beat whichever Irish side they met this week.

The Romanian side's decision, like that of Hajduk Split last year, to only travel the day before the game has also prompted some consternation and Shelbourne skipper Owen Heary has quietly observed that the players' wish is that after "sticking it down the throat of Hajduk last year, we can do the same to Steaua now".

The visiting team's coach, Oleg Protasov, was polite about his team's prospects yesterday, but hardly seemed in awe of what he had seen against Glentoran.

"We have seen that Shelbourne are well organised and so it won't be easy for us," he said, "but at the same time we saw in Shelbourne a team that was only attacking, and I saw in Glentoran a team that wasn't sufficiently strong to resist."

Later, he mentioned Glen Crowe, Jason Byrne and Richie Baker as being potentially dangerous for the home side, but seemed confident that his side could counter their threat.

What is clear is Shelbourne's front line will find this more like playing against Deportivo La Coruna than Glentoran and will need to do better than against the Spaniards when it comes to taking their chances.

Fenlon hinted on Monday that he might bring Alan Moore into the starting line-up while Curtis Fleming could replace David Crawley at left back. They could certainly do with the quality and composure Moore would bring to the side while Fleming, if sufficiently sharp, would also add experience to a defence that has made a habit of conceding sloppy and often costly goals of late.

Having seen his team play well against Glentoran, though, the Shelbourne boss could still stick with the same side and hope that the players can pick up where they left off against the northerners, capitalising once again on the lack of sharpness on the part of the visitors who are still effectively in pre-season.

The Romanians promise to present a much greater challenge, however, and Shelbourne goalkeeper Dean Delaney faces what is probably the greatest test of his career over the course of the two games.

"I'd say so," said the 24-year- old, when asked if it will be his biggest game ever. "One time at Port Vale we had a promotion push, but this is Europe. It's a completely different game altogether - a completely different atmosphere."

Delaney's career has included more setbacks and disappointments since showing great promise as a teenager. Now he has the ideal stage to show he can cope at a level which he was denied the chance to play when let go by Everton while an under-21 international.

While at the club he was in the youth team that won the FA Cup, playing alongside Francis Jeffers, Richard Dunne and Michael Ball, and he admits to having suffered long periods of frustration as, after injury cost him his place at Port Vale, he looked on as they all went on to bigger things.

Even at Shelbourne he has had to wait some time for his chance, but since breaking into the team he has done well and over the next eight days he could announce his overdue arrival in quite some style.

Tonight, though, it will be up to the men identified by Protasov as the dangermen to do their bit because anything less than a win for the Dubliners, however honourable the performance, will leave them little chance of progressing to the third round for a second successive year.