After Shamrock Rovers' Champions League chances were left dangling by a thread on Tuesday, this week's agenda for the League of Ireland clubs in Europe continue on Thursday in the Europa Conference League.
Having seen off Bala Town of Wales via a penalty shootout last week, Sligo Rovers' next assignment is Scottish Premiership side Motherwell in the second qualifying round, with the away leg at Fir Park up first.
Meanwhile, St Patrick's Athletic, who got a bye to the second round, take on Slovenia's NS Mura in their opening leg at Richmond Park. Both games kick off at 7.45pm.
For ex-Saints midfielder Conan Byrne, the challenge of taking on a club that managed to shock Tottenham in last season's group stages, will be a tough assignment for Tim Clancy's team.
Mura began their new season with a 2-0 defeat to Olimpija on Sunday. It has been a remarkable journey for the Slovenian club, who rose from the fourth tier to the top in just five years.
"Similarly to Shamrock Rovers' chances in Ludogorets, Mura are a good side," he told this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast.
"Just looking at their recent form, they haven't kept a clean sheet in 14 games so their defence isn't particularly strong but they do score goals.
"So it's going to be a very interesting set-up to see how they get on. They beat Spurs in the Europa Conference League last year but they lost the other five games to Rennes and Vitesse Arnhem.
"Spurs didn't play a particularly strong side in those games in the Europa Conference League and they weren't in a great run of form in that time either."
St Pat's come into the game off the back of four points from six against the two Louth clubs, drawing with Dundalk in their most recent league game of a campaign marked by inconsistency.
"They played very well on Friday night. They were a bit sloppy in terms of the possession and the concession of their goal," said Byrne.
"But in terms of the European experience, they don't have many players that have played (in those competitions).
"They've brought in a right-back - and they've struggled in that area all season - who used to play for Bolton Wanderers, Harry Brockbank. It's going to be his first taste of European action but I thought he was really, really good the other night.
"They've brought in Serge Atakayi as well, who's played in Finland for the last number of years, and he looked really good on the ball, so it's going to be very interesting to see how they got on because Eoin Doyle's going to get a taste of European action again for the first time in a long time. I'm sure he's going to savour that experience and when you have Chris Forrester doing what he does, you're always going to have a chance.
"I feel Pat's have more of a chance than Shamrock Rovers (did against Ludogorets) but it's going to be difficult."
Sligo Rovers' opponents Motherwell will be more familiar to Irish fans, not just because of their status within the Scottish Premiership but with the ex-League of Ireland players in their squad like Ireland Under-21 international Ross Tierney and ex-Pat's man Jake Carroll.
Byrne believes Motherwell, who won't be fully match sharp given it's pre-season in Scotland and have had some iffy summer results, are vulnerable.
But whether a Sligo side which was stunned at home by UCD on Sunday can deliver a telling blow is another matter entirely.
"Motherwell are a beatable team but with Sligo currently the way they're playing, I can't see them getting past Motherwell," he said.
"At the same time (Motherwell are) preparing for a big game here and having only two friendlies under your belt is probably not the ideal scenario going into a game of this magnitude so Sligo should grab that with both hands but I just worry about their form."
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