The action continues in the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, as FC Ararat-Armenia and Shamrock Rovers clash in the first leg at Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Armenia on Tuesday. The second leg will take place at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, on Tuesday, 28 July.

Ararat Armenia were crowned Armenian Premier League champions in the 2025-26 season, earning them a spot in the Champions League first qualifying round.

To reach the second round of qualifying, the Armenian club defeated Riga FC 4-3 on aggregate in the first qualifying round, losing 3-2 away after a 2-0 home victory in the first leg.

Ararat-Armenia coach Manuel Tulipa will hope that his side can continue their positive run in the competition against Shamrock Rovers, with this first leg at home being particularly important for the Armenian side after what the Irish did in their home leg in the last round.

Shamrock Rovers won the Irish Premier Division in 2025 with 66 points from 36 games, pipping second-placed Derry City to the title and earning their spot in the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round.

The Hoops beat Floriana FC in the first qualifying round, coming back to win 5-1 at home following a 2-0 away loss in Malta in the first leg.

That comeback will certainly provide them with some confidence, and Stephen Bradley's team followed that solid result up with a 4-1 extra-time victory over Cork City in the FAI Cup on Friday.

John McGovern scored a brace to go with goals from Naj Razi and Max Kovaleskis for Shamrock Rovers, while Ruairi Keating scored the consolation for Cork City.

The winning side will move on to the third round of the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, while the losing side will move down into the UEFA Europa League, dropping into the third qualifying round.

Ararat-Armenia will try to control the tempo of the match while pushing for goals at home in this first leg. Shamrock Rovers are expected to adopt a disciplined, high-intensity game plan based on their defensive solidity and ability to hurt teams on the counterattack.

We expect this first leg to end in a low-scoring stalemate.

Prediction: Ararat Armenia 1-1 Shamrock Rovers

Tip 1: Draw

Tip 2: Both teams to score

Tip 3: Under 2.5 goals

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