Preview: Hoops aiming to PAOK a punch

A week on from their impressive dismantling of NK Celje, Shamrock Rovers return to European football with big dreams and a lucrative safety net.

Stephen Bradley's men are guaranteed to rake in over €3million (at least) after reaching the Europa League play-off stage, the first leg of which takes place this evening against PAOK at Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki (6.30pm kick-off).

If the Hoops beat the heavily fancied Greek outfit, they march into the revamped Europa League which means - under the newly introduced Swiss Model - they will have eight games against eight different opponents. Lose and they drop into the group stages of the UEFA Conference League, where they'll have six games against six different opponents.

It's a brilliant boost to the reigning SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division champions who just haven't got going in the league this year - they're currently sixth in the table, ten points off leaders Shelbourne albeit with a game in hand.

Entering Europe through the 'champions path' offers clubs a few bites of the cherry, a route that can be fruitful even with a defeat or two along the way.

It's why Shamrock Rovers' Champions League first qualifying round win over Vikingur Reykjavik was so important, with the subsequent loss to Sparta Prague softened by the consolation prize of a place in the Europa League qualifiers, where they scalped Albert Riera's Celje.

Now they square up to PAOK, an expensively assembled side stacked with internationals. This a seriously big ask, but there's some sources of encouragement for Shamrock Rovers.

Firstly, this is not totally unfamiliar terrain for the club.

It's been 13 years since Michael O'Neill's team beat Partizan Belgrade on their own patch after extra-time to become the