Shelbourne vs Linfield Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Match Details: July 9, 2025 | Tolka Park | Champions League Qualification | 19:45 (BST)

Shelbourne and Linfield clash in an all-Irish affair to kick off their respective Champions League tournaments. They encounter at Tolka Park, Dublin, on Wednesday night. This is the first leg of the tie, with the second being played in Northern Ireland a week later. Shelbourne are in poor form but will enter as favourites as they have the stronger squad on paper.

Key Betting Tip: Shelbourne to win at 1.98 odds represents excellent value based on the tip provided by our team of in-house tipsters.

Shelbourne vs Linfield Predicted Lineups

Shelbourne Predicted XI: Kearns, Caffrey, Barrett, Ledwidge, Norris, Lunney, Coyle, McInroy, Wood, Coote, Odubeko

Linfield Predicted XI: Johns, East Hall, Orr, McGee, Allen, Mulgrew, Archer, Millar, Morrison, Fitzpatrick

Shelbourne vs Linfield Current League Standings

This will be both sides' first game in this competition. Shelbourne qualified for it by winning the 2024 League of Ireland Premier Division. Linfield qualified for the Champions League by winning the 2024/25 NIFL Premiership. Linfield are currently in their off-season; however, Shelbourne are midway through the Premier Division season and currently sits 5th after 25 games with eight wins, 11 draws, and six losses.

Shelbourne vs Linfield Head-to-Head Timeline

Shelbourne and Linfield have previously met three times in the Setanta Sports Cup. A competition that featured teams from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Linfield won two of the meetings, with the other result a draw. The three results are as follows:

• Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield, March 2006
• Linfield 2-0 Shelbourne, March 2006
• Shelbourne 0-2 Linfield, May 2005

Recent Shelbourne and Linfield Matches Analysis

Shelbourne Last 5 Matches:

Shelbourne 3-1 Cork City (LoI Premier Division) Galway United 1-1 Shelbourne (LoI Premier Division) Waterford 2-2 Shelbourne (LoI Premier Division) Shelbourne 0-1 Derry City (LoI Premier Division) St. Patrick’s Athletic 0-1 Shelbourne (LoI Premier Division)

Shelbourne are in shaky form, over the last couple of weeks they have won two, lost one, and drawn two, failing to beat teams lower than them in the table like Waterford and Galway.

Linfield Last 5 Matches:

Newbuildings United 1-7 Linfield (Friendly) Linfield 0-0 Dungannon Swifts (NIFL Charity Shield) Coleraine 1-0 Linfield (NIFL Premiership) Larne 2-1 Linfield (NIFL Premiership) Linfield 2-0 Dungannon Swifts (NIFL Premiership)

Linfield had a poor end to the season; however, they had already been crowned champions by then. A recent friendly saw them thrash local side Newbuildings United.

Shelbourne vs Linfield Predictions

Our advanced algorithm analyses over 200 data points to generate these predictions with confidence in a Shelbourne victory. The model factors in current form, head-to-head records, player availability, and tactical matchups.

Best Shelbourne vs Linfield Betting Tips

Football Park’s Best Bet: Shelbourne to Win @ 1.98 - Our team of in-house betting tipsters have predicted a Shelbourne win in this fixture. Their home advantage and stronger squad should pull them over the line. Shelbourne are also mid-season, so players will be in better form compared to Linfield, who are playing the match off the back of a summer break.

Key Players to Watch: Shelbourne vs Linfield

Mipo Odubeko (Shelbourne): Former West Ham academy product Odubeko joined the club in January and has since scored seven goals in 25 games, making him Shelbourne’s key target man.

Matthew Fitzpatrick (Linfield): The opposition’s centre-forward, Fitzpatrick, is a serial scorer, bagging 16 goals last season. His experience with Linfield in European competition will prove to be valuable in this match.

Shelbourne vs Linfield Match Facts

Referee: Luis Godinho (Portugal) A seasoned referee with heavy experience in the Portuguese top flight, Godinho has also refereed games in the Nations League.

Broadcast Details:

UK: BBC iPlayer, Premier Sports 1 & Premier Sports Player

Stadium Information: Tolka Park is a 5,500-capacity stadium in the Northside of Dublin. It has been home to Shelbourne for over 35 years and has hosted various UEFA ties.