Shelbourne vs Derry City prediction 05.08.2024

• Competition: Premier Division
• Date: Monday, 5th August, 2024
• Kickoff: 19:45 UK / 20:45 CEST
• Venue: Tolka Park (Dublin)

Even though there are several rounds left in the Premier Division, the game on Monday evening between Shelbourne and Derry City could very much decide the champion for the 2024 season.

Shelbourne, the 13-time Irish champion, had a rough decade behind them, spending a big part of it in the second tier. However, since returning to the Premier Division, Shelbourne have shown steady improvement, finishing 7th and 4th in the past two seasons. Now, they find themselves in a strong position to win their first title since 2006. They currently hold the top spot, with a three-point lead over second-placed Derry City and one game played less.

Derry City had two really good seasons, finishing second on both occasions and capturing an Irish Cup title. The popular Red And White Army are hoping for a different outcome this year, aiming to lift the league trophy after narrowly missing out to Shamrock Rovers in the past two seasons. However, they must secure a positive result to achieve this goal. A loss would leave them six points behind Shelbourne, having played one more game. Without exaggeration, this match is a must-win situation for the team from Londonderry.

Shelbourne vs Derry City pick: Shelbourne to (AH 0) win

Shelbourne are in very good form, having lost just once in the last nine matches in all competitions. However, that loss was away from home in the Champions League Qualifiers against a really good Zurich team. On the other hand, they managed to keep Zurich to a draw at Tolka Park, where they were excellent throughout the season. This year, they only lost twice in 14 home games - to Sligo Rovers and Bohemians, but were objectively a better team in both games and deserved at least draws.

Derry City, on the other hand, have experienced mixed results over the past month, winning two and losing two of their last four games. During this period, they were eliminated from the Champions League Qualifiers by Magpies, one of the weakest teams in the competition.

Derry City generally rely heavily on their home pitch, where they average more than 2.2 points per game in the domestic league. Away from home, they are only an average team, winning just 15 points in 12 rounds (1.25 per game), which is almost a point less on average!

In their two h2h encounters this season, both matches ended in draws. We anticipate another closely contested match, but considering all the above, we believe that Shelbourne are slightly closer to winning the upcoming game.