HNK Rijeka vs Shelbourne Prediction 06.08.2025 | UEFA Europa League

HNK Rijeka brought Dinamo Zagreb’s seven-year dominance to a dramatic close last season, edging them out on goal difference to claim the Croatian title and write a new chapter in the club’s history, before capping off a sensational 2024-25 campaign with domestic cup glory to seal a remarkable double.

Crowned national champions, the Rijeka Whites secured a shot at the UEFA Champions League through the qualifying rounds, but their hopes of advancing were quickly extinguished as Ludogorets knocked them out with a 3-1 extra-time blow in the second leg.

Radomir Djakovic's men didn’t have to wait long to bounce back, as a routine victory over Slaven Belupo on the opening weekend of the SuperSport HNL not only marked a confident start to their domestic title defence, but also served as a timely morale boost before their European assignment.

For the upcoming European match midweek, Rijeka will be without Gabriel Rukavina and Toni Fruk after their red cards in Razgrad last week, with Rukavina’s absence compounded by a prior injury at the start of the domestic season.

In contrast, Shelbourne were handed a harsh reminder of the gap in quality and squad depth required to compete on Europe’s biggest club stage, as they were comprehensively swept aside 4-0 on aggregate by Qarabag in the previous round, extinguishing their Champions League hopes for the year.

Ahead of their trip to Croatia, the Shels restored some much-needed confidence with a comfortable two-goal win away to Sligo Rovers, but that result does little to mask their disappointing domestic title defence, as they remain 14 points adrift of leaders Shamrock Rovers with just 10 rounds left to play.

Any hopes of Joey O'Brien's men pulling off a shock result in Wednesday's continental clash seem slim, especially when considering their lacklustre form on foreign soil – with just five victories to show from 16 away outings in all competitions this calendar year.

Shelbourne’s latest summer signing, Milan Mbeng, will need to be assessed ahead of the clash with Rijeka after being forced off with an apparent injury in the 68th minute of his debut against Sligo Rovers.

First-choice goalkeeper Conor Kearns remains sidelined with the hamstring injury he picked up in the Champions League qualifying opener against Linfield, meaning Wessel Speel is set for his fourth straight start.