Shelbourne vs Linfield: Lineups, Predictions & Betting Tips Predictions

Shelbourne v Linfield Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Match Details: Aug 21, 2025 | Tolka Park | UECL Play-off round Qualifier, 1st leg | 19:45 GMT

The League of Ireland and Northern Irish champions clash for the third time in the space of just six weeks or so with group stage football the lucrative prize on offer.

Having defeated Linfield over two legs in the Champions League qualifiers, the Reds have since gone close to already securing group stage football after a near miss against Croatian champions Rijeka.

Had Shelbourne clung onto their first leg lead in that tie, they'd now be preparing for a free crack at PAOK in the Europa League play-off round knowing even if they lost they'd be safe of a place in the Conference League group phase.

However, they must now prepare for another "All-Island derby" with Linfield, who managed to overcome Vikingur from the Faroes in the previous round having also eliminated Zalgiris since their Champions League exit.

It is rather unusual to see two teams meeting for the second time in the same European campaign and it is something Linfield are not happy about, perhaps due to the fact they know they will be underdogs once again.

Key Betting Tip: Shelbourne to win at 1.95 odds (Ladbrokes) represents excellent value based on the tip provided by our team of in-house tipsters.

Shelbourne v Linfield Predicted Lineups

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

Linfield Predicted XI: Johns, Allen, Hall, Rascoe, Orr, Archer, Shields, McClean, Offord, Fitzpatrick, Millar

Shelbourne v Linfield Last 5 H2H

16/07/25 Linfield 1-1 Shelbourne (UCL)

09/07/25 Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield (UCL)

20/03/06 Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield (Setanta Sports Cup (SSC) - Now defunct*)

13/03/06 Linfield 2-0 Shelbourne (SSC)

21/05/05 Shelbourne 0-2 Linfield (SSC - Final)

Recent Shelbourne v Linfield Matches Analysis

Shelbourne utterly dominated the first leg in July but didn't win as comfortably as they should given they had almost 60% of the ball and 18 shots to Linfield's 4. Putting teams away has proved to be an issue for Shels in recent seasons and they'll need to be more clinical on Thursday if they are to avoid a nervy trip to Belfast a week later.

While Shelbourne were again clearly the superior team ability wise in the second leg, the Reds made some dreadful errors at the back which were not punished by Linfield. Cut out the sloppy mistakes and tidy up in the final third and Shelbourne should prove too smart for the Northern Irish champions.

Shelbourne Last 5 Matches:

St.Patrick's Athletic 2-0 Shelbourne (FAI Cup)

Shelbourne 1-3 Rijeka (UEL)

Shelbourne 2-2 Bohemians (LOI)

Rijeka 1-2 Shelbourne (UEL)

Sligo Rovers 0-2 Shelbourne

While recent results haven't been fantastic, Shelbourne have known for some time they were likely to reach this stage of the competition and they couldn't have asked for a kinder draw than Linfield. As a result, this tie has been the focus for some time now.

Linfield Last 5 Matches:

Linfield 2-0 Vikingur (UECL)

Linfield 3-0 Dungannon (NIFL)

Vikingur 2-1 Linfield (UECL)

Ballinamallard 3-1 Linfield (CF)

Linfield 2-0 Zalgiris (UECL)

Linfield's recent home form is strong so building a safety cushion for their trip to Windsor Park will be Shelbourne's aim.

Shelbourne v Linfield Predictions

Our advanced algorithm analyses over 200 data points to generate these predictions with 73.30 % confidence in a Shelbourne. The model factors in current form, head-to-head records, player availability, and tactical matchups.

Best Shelbourne v Linfield Betting Tips

Football Park’s Best Bet: BTTS NO @ 1.8 (William Hill) - Our team of in-house betting tipsters have predicted a Shelbourne win in this fixture. Their superior form, home advantage, and head-to-head record justify confidence in this selection.

Key Players to Watch: Shelbourne v Linfield

Harry Wood (Shelbourne): The Englishman who has become a legend at Shelbourne. It was Wood's late goal on the final day of last season away to Derry that delivered the Reds a first league title in almost two decades. Wood, a former Hull midfielder, has the ability to control the game from their the middle of the park or coming in from the wide left.

Chris Shields (Linfield): The Dundalk great will be tasked with trying to keep tabs on Wood in the midfield. Shields, who has vast European experience from his time in the League of Ireland previously, missed the first leg against Shelbourne through suspension.

Shelbourne v Linfield Match Facts

Referee: Vassilis Fotias (Greece) - The 36-year-old handed out SEVEN yellow cards in his only European game this season.

Broadcast Details:

UK: BBC NI

Ireland/Worldwide: LOI TV

Stadium Information: Tolka Park - Tolka Park is a football ground located in the north Dublin suburb of Drumcondra, on the northern banks of the River Tolka. It is currently the home ground of League of Ireland club Shelbourne men's and women's senior sides and first opened in 1924. It's current capacity is 5,750 but that is likely to be much reduced for European games.