CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria) v St Patrick’s Athletic
Vasil Levski stadium, 6pm – Live RTÉ News Now
The €3 million in prize money remains four tidy results away, but St Patrick’s Athletic already deserve enormous credit for turning a middling season around. Last week’s penalty shootout, requiring 16 spot kicks, eventually delivered victory over NS Mura in Slovenia to set up the second Ireland versus Bulgaria tie of the summer.
CSKA used to swap the domestic title with cross-city rivals Levski but, ever since billionaire Kiril Domuschiev started pumping loose change into Ludogorets, who recently had Shamrock Rovers’ number, the Sofia club has become better known for racially abusing its own players than for any European adventures.
Bellringing for 65 years: ‘It’s great exercise but now that I’m 90 I only ring the lighter ones’
Irish primary schoolchildren have been taught for generations that spring begins on February 1st, but is that true?
‘A lot of things boys seem to instinctually love, we tend to be more dismissive of or even concerned about’
Eli Hewson of Inhaler: ‘There’s so much nepotism in every facet of life’
Not that St Pat’s appear capable of keeping the tie alive for another Richmond Park special, as any chance of a return to Europa action next season appeared to be lost on Sunday when Tim Clancy’s side crashed out of the FAI Cup, losing 3-2 to Waterford. At least Eoin Doyle and Chris Forrester should make timely returns to the starting XI. The pair already combined for a special European goal, so more of the same is essential if Pats are to face Brøndby of Denmark or Basel of Switzerland in a play-off to reach the Conference group stages.
