Complacency is a word rarely associated with the ultra-serious surrounds of the Champions League, however, that is exactly what Shelbourne are hoping for as they take on Qarabag in their second-round qualifier, second-leg encounter.
The League of Ireland champions are in Baku to take on the Azerbaijan outfit with a mountain to climb following the Tolka Park humbling last week, Shels losing 3-0.
Two late goals really added to the home side's woes, but overall, Joey O’Brien’s side were outclassed by a quality side, who came to Dublin and got the job done.
Half done, it could be argued, however, even those wearing the most red-tinted of spectacles will concede that Shelbourne’s summer looks set to be Europa themed rather than progressing in the marquee competition.
From a professional perspective, O’Brien has to at least offer a way back into this tie and attempt to instil belief into his charges ahead of tonight’s game at the Tofiq Ismayilov Stadium.
And O’Brien said all the right things at the pre-match press conference when asked whether he believed in football miracles, and whether Shelbourne could progress.
O’Brien’s tone was, however, low-key when he said that Shelbourne could advance by sticking to the adage of setting his team up to win, as is the case with every game they play.
But the mention of a pragmatic approach suggests that O’Brien looks more likely to use the difficult away fixture as a means of preparing for what lies down the road in the Europa League fixture that will come should Shelbourne bow out of the Champions League.
The relatively new man in charge would be very mindful of the possibility that another comprehensive defeat could really affect the confidence within the group for further fixtures.
The sun may have started to set by the time that Shelbourne take to the field for the 8pm local time (5pm Irish time) kick-off, however, it is still expected to be touching 30 on the thermometer, which will bring its own challenges for the League of Ireland champions.
The manager has warned against a front-foot, attacking approach to the game, despite the temptation to really have a go from the kick-off and attempt to catch the hosts cold.
Qarabag are too good an outfit to get dragged into such a dramatic scenario early in the game and would most likely embrace such tactics, confident of picking off the Dubliners on the counter-attack to completely kill off the tie.
Shels cannot match Qarabag for quality, however, they showed glimpses in the second half, in particular, that they could cause problems and generate goalmouth opportunities.
First and foremost, O’Brien will be looking for a performance fitting of the Irish representatives in the Champions League, knowing what such a showing could do for the rest of their European endeavours.
O’Brien lamented his side’s first-half performance in the first leg, saying that his team gave Qarabag too much respect and were too passive with their play, while also acknowledging the opposition’s ability to create, and punish, when offered the opportunity.
The Shels boss is demanding 100% from his players, whatever the result, and does not want anyone coming off the pitch without leaving everything out there.
However, O’Brien does not seem too concerned on that front as he feels that the competition, and the setting, will prove motivation enough for his players heading into the game.
"Playing Champions League round two away from home against a top team that's been in the group stage of Europe for the last 10, 11 years, there's real motivation in the lads that this is what you play.
"You dream of it as a kid, coming away and playing in Europe and coming to these stadiums and having the opportunity to play Champions League football away from home against a top team in their back garden.
"Everyone, I'm sure, is chomping at the bit."
Shelbourne are also boosted by the fact that they travelled with a strong squad to Baku on Monday, boasting a range of strong attacking options, while their only injuries are goalkeeper Conor Kearns and new signing Jack Henry-Francis.
Whether Qarabag allow themselves to become complacent remains to be seen, however, should Shelbourne sit in and create a first-half stalemate, it does offer a chance to have a go in the second half.
Substance over style would most likely prove the best route to disrupt the home side, and should Shels sneak a goal to take the lead with ten or 20 minutes left on the clock, it could certainly cause some concern for the hosts and make for quite the entertaining epilogue.
The likelihood, however, is that Shelbourne's best hope is to come out of the tie relatively unscathed and begin to build some momentum to take into their next two-leg encounter, where they will hope that their home form can offer a better chance of progressing further towards the league phases.
Follow a live blog of Qarabag v Shelbourne on Wednesday from 5pm on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app
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