Stephen Bradley believes Shamrock Rovers can overturn their first-leg deficit against Breidablik and progress to the second qualifying round of the Champions League.
Rovers' European campaign got off to a dismal start as they drew a blank for the third successive game, with Damir Muminovic's thumping free-kick clinching a deserved 1-0 win for the Icelandic champions in Tallaght.
Bradley’s side raised their game in the second half but still struggled to create any clear-cut chances until late on, something they must remedy ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Reykjavik.
Damir Muminovic's stunning strike separated the sides on Tuesday night
"First half, I felt we gave them too much respect," Rovers boss Bradley told RTÉ Sport.
"We didn’t play with enough intensity, in and out of possession. We were too passive in our passing and our pressing and as a result they hurt us.
"Second half was a lot more like us and we caused them real problems. We created the best opportunities in the game and we’ve got to bring that second half over there next week. I have no doubt we can win the game."
Breidablik didn’t allow Rovers to settle during the first half, pressing up on their hosts and causing them to commit a number of sloppy, misplaced passes.
"We knew how they press, they press the same all the time," said Bradley. "But there are big spaces if you are aggressive and you penetrate and we didn’t do that first half.
"We were playing square and setting up their press. If you do that in Europe, you usually get punished.
"That’s what we did first half, second half was a lot better. We were a lot more aggressive in our play and we really caused them problems."
Shamrock Rovers enjoyed longer spells of possession during the second period and some late pressure almost led to an equaliser as Graham Burke, Sean Kavanagh and Johnny Kenny all went close.
Bradley wants to see more of the same from his players in the second leg.
"We created enough opportunities and caused them enough problems to know that if we play at that level, there is no doubt in my mind we can win the game and go through," he said.
"There’s frustration [in the dressing room] because we feel we let 45 minutes get away from us. The players know that. I have to take responsibility for the information and how it was given. That’s on me. But I felt second half, we were very good."
Breidablik manager Oskar Thorvaldsson insists the tie is far from over
Bradley’s counterpart Oskar Thorvaldsson was delighted with his Breidablik players after they caused an upset in Tallaght.
The visitors threatened on a number of occasions from set-pieces during the first half and led at the interval courtesy of defender Muminovic’s 39th-minute piledriver.
"I think we laid the foundations for the victory in the first half," said Thorvaldsson. "We executed our plan as good as we could. I think the first half was brilliant.
"But in the second half they were a much stronger team. They had more of the possession and kind of controlled the game, without creating big chances.
"As the game grew, we got more tired, started to chase and we had to suffer a lot in the second half.
"I’m incredibly proud of my players. Shamrock Rovers are a really good team. Not many teams come away from here with a victory.
"We saw tonight that they are a brilliant possession team that can play the ball and solve even the tightest of spaces. Once we were a little bit on the back foot we suffered."
Breidablik will be confident of completing the job on their astroturf pitch but Thorvaldsson insisted it is only "half-time" in the tie.
"Shamrock Rovers are a bigger team than us," he said. "They have more European pedigree, a bigger budget and are just a bigger club. Obviously they will be going into the tie as favourites and we need to make sure that we play the full 90 minutes like we played the first half.
"We can’t allow ourselves to drop back and be on the back foot as much as we did in the second half.
"But against good teams, you suffer."
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