While Shamrock Rovers have enjoyed strong results at home during their European run, the challenge for Stephen Bradley's side in the Europa Conference League group stages will be how they cope with the away assignments.
They kicked off the group campaign with a 0-0 draw against Djurgardens last Thursday on home soil but this week, they head to Belgium to take on KAA Gent.
As the Pot 1 side in the group, Gent on paper are the most difficult side the Hoops will face in the group phase and especially away from Tallaght Stadium.
Previewing Thursday evening's game on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast, Graham Gartland and Ollie Cahill said learning lessons from their recent defeats away at Ludogorets and Ferencvaros will be vital if Rovers are to salvage anything this week.
"That's the one thing they'll probably look back on from the European run is those away games, and even spells in those away games that have cost them the ties overall," said ex-Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians, Cork City and Drogheda United winger Cahill.
"The lesson learned from the Djurgardens (home) game was that they were under a little bit of pressure, but they saw it out and they didn't concede so they're learning all the time and that's something when you're going away, most teams are compact, keep it nice and tight, see how they get on and grow into the game gradually."
Gartland pointed out that spacing was an issue in Budapest when they lost at Ferencvaros in the Europa League qualifier first leg.
"It's the distances. The Ferencvaros game when they were away from home, the distance between the striker and the back-line was just too big and it meant that the midfield never got in touch with their back-line," he explained.
"The gaps were just too big and I was speaking to Stephen (Bradley) and it was something that they fixed for the home leg where Gary O'Neill ended up being a little bit tighter to his back-three but the back-three also squeezed up an extra five to ten yards as well which stops that gap that allows the 10s or the strikers to drop in and play.
"It's distances. If the back-line is deep, everybody has to be deep with them. The front line has to drop back in and the midfield have to drop back in.
"But if there is high pressure and the line of engagement is high from the strikers, the back-line needs to push up behind them as well and make sure that they're high up the pitch and then Alan Mannus will be the one that is sweeping behind.
"So they're going to have to suffer in the (Gent) game. Every good European team is going to make you suffer at some stage and if they weather that and can get through that, I think they can get a result over there."
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