Pico Lopes and Rovers' Veterans Sink Egnatia in Europa League Battle

The World Cup may be over, but Pico Lopes' remarkable year keeps rolling. Shamrock Rovers' captain, along with fellow veterans Graham Burke and Aaron Greene, fired the Hoops to a 3-1 win over Egnatia in the first leg of their Europa League third-round tie, leaving Stephen Bradley's side firmly in control ahead of next week's return in Albania.

It was youth-vs-experience in reverse — while teenagers have driven much of Rovers' recent story, it was the old heads who delivered this time. Lopes, Burke and Greene, with a combined age of 102, scored the goals, Jack Byrne set up two of them, and all four goals in the match came from set-plays. Rovers will even feel they left goals out there, with missed first-half chances and two glaring misses from substitute Jonathan Afolabi denying an even bigger scoreline in front of 5,047 fans.

Egnatia have been tough at home in Europe before, winning three of their last five continental ties in Albania, but Rovers would need a serious collapse next week to miss out on a Europa League play-off against Lillestrøm — and they're already guaranteed Conference League group-stage football regardless.

Rovers started fast, dominating early exchanges as Burke repeatedly tested Egnatia keeper Mario Dajsinani, who denied him twice inside the first 11 minutes. Chances kept coming — Fitzgerald and Byrne combined well, Adam Brennan fluffed a good opportunity — before Rovers broke through in the 28th minute. Burke converted a penalty after Ildi Gruda fouled Dylan Watts, finally beating Dajsinani for a record 16th European goal.

Egnatia responded well and should have equalized through an unmarked Adjessa Daniel, before getting a second life on 40 minutes: a VAR-awarded penalty for a foul on Gruda saw Guillem Jamie's spot-kick saved by Ed McGinty, but Jamie reacted quickest to bury the rebound.

Rovers regained control early in the second half with two set-piece goals in as many minutes — Lopes headed home a Byrne corner in the 54th, and Greene did the same from an almost identical delivery two minutes later, with Egnatia's marking at fault both times. From there, Rovers dominated without adding to the scoreline: Afolabi missed two good chances, Fitzgerald forced a save, and Jake Mulraney went close late on. Egnatia were well beaten, the final margin arguably flattering the Albanians.

Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Sobowale, Lopes, Stevens; Fitzgerald, Healy, Watts (Razi 68), Brennan (Mulraney 46); Byrne (J O'Sullivan 77), Burke (Mandroiu 68); Greene (Afolabi 58)

Egnatia: Dajsinani; Sola, Bitri, Aliyev (Ajetkovikj 68); Jaime, Medeiros, Kryeziu, Diabate (Albanese 46), Yago (Ndreca 81); Daniel (Montenegro 46), Gruda (Loukili 46)

Referee: A. Treimanis (Latvia)