Shelbourne FC
- After an uninspiring start to the season, Joey O’Brien’s men have hit their stride since the start of April, going unbeaten in 5 games, with a 2-1 home victory over Waterford FC and a goalless draw away at Derry City coming in their last 2 fixtures.
- O’Brien has installed a disciplined 4-5-1 system in his men, which morphs into a 4-3-3 system in possession.
- They have played with more patience in building up play in the last 5 games, but their real strength is when they press, which they do with a 4-3-3 and look to release Harry Wood into space with diagonal passes when they recover possession.
Galway United
- Galway United have won 1, drawn 2, and lost 2 of their last 5 league games and are 7th in the table with 20 points from 17 matches.
- Galway United set up in a compact 4-4-2/4-2-3-1 hybrid and like to sit deep and defend the goal, looking to hit the opposition on the counter or from set-pieces.
- Paul Doolin’s approach is more pragmatic and less expansive than Shelbourne’s, but Galway have shown plenty of spirit in recent weeks.
- Galway have since lost 2, drawn 2 and won 1 of their next 5 games, with their most recent results seeing them hammer Sligo Rovers 4-1 away and then lose 2-4 at home to Bohemian FC.
Recent meetings
Shelbourne are undefeated in their last 3 home games against Galway and the sides played out a 1-1 draw in the Premier Division 2026.
Attacking threats
- Harry Wood is Shelbourne’s main attacking threat, with 7 goals in 18 Premier Division 2026 appearances.
- Kristopher Twardek leads the line for Galway with 6 goals in 16 league outings this term.
Markets to consider
- With Shelbourne in much better form than Galway and Paul Doolin’s men having lost 4, drawn 3 and won only 2 of their 9 away league matches this term, backing the draw at 3.8 looks the safest option.
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Markets of interest:
- Over 2.5 goals - 1.77
- Both teams to score (Yes) - 1.7
Scoreline
We’re going for a 2-2 correct score prediction for Friday’s fixture.
