Partizan beware

Any Partizan Belgrade fans expecting an easy passge through to the Europa League group stages could be in for quiet a surprise next week. Shamrock Rovers are now the counties only team left in European competition but with that comes the possibility for an Irish side in a group stage of a European competion for the first time.
Shamrock Rovers are proberly the best euipped side to break into a group stage be it the champions league or Europa League but judging by their exit from the champions league to Danish runaway title winners FC Kobenhavn there is more work to be done.
The day of seeing Irish clubs in the group stages are coming of that there is no doubt. Our record in Europe in the past eight years shows significent progress.
Partizan Belgrade are the side that stand in the way from seeing that dream this season. Partizan are current Serbian champions and did play in the Champions league group stages last season. Like all Serbian sides, Partizan have lost their key players from that campaign, stand out name Cléo is now in China. Partizan also played in the group stage of the Europa League the season previously and they were extremely poor. Serbian sides since the breakup of the Yugoslavia simply are not the same as before 1991. Rovers could fancy their chances in this tie and if I am being honest I would give Rovers a strong chance of upseting the odds against their Serbian counterparts.
All the pressure will be on Partizan. Not easy when they set the standard fro Serbian sides last season with their group stage status in the champions league last season. Of course Partizan have quality players such as Sasa Ilic, Laime Diarra and Aleksandar Rankovic, but Rovers have a good crop of players themselves in Gary Twigg, Billy Dennehy and Conor McCormack.
Not matter what happens Rovers will look back on this European adventure with pride because they had a strong first half performance against FC Kobenhavn and a repeat of that showing will upset Partizan.