Shelbourne are set to face a stiff test against Ajax in their upcoming European battle, but the capture of stars like Marc-Andre ter Stegen shows the level Shels need to match. Ajax supporters with long memories will look ahead to their European battles with Shelbourne over the next seven days and see more clouds than golden opportunities and a gimmie into the next round of Uefa competition. Forget Guinness jibes: Ajax may have been a pub team last season but capture of stars like Marc-Andre ter Stegen shows level Shels need to match. ## What happened? Ajax supporters with long memories will look ahead to their European battles with Shelbourne over the next seven days and see more clouds than golden opportunities and a gimmie into the next round of Uefa competition. ## Why it matters for Shelbourne The capture of stars like Marc-Andre ter Stegen shows the level Shels need to match. ## What comes next? Shelbourne face a tough test against Ajax in their upcoming European battle. With their recent form (0W-0D-5L, LLLLL, most recent first) and last result (Shelbourne 1-2 St Patrick's Athl. on 2026-08-09), Shelbourne will need to step up their game to take on the Dutch giants. League standing: 5th in Premier Division, 34 pts, 8W-10D-8L from 26 games, recent form LLWDL. Goals this season: 36 scored, 38 conceded (-2 goal difference). Title race: 20 points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers. Next fixture: vs Ajax (at home, 2026-08-13).