- UCD have won two of their last three home matches against Kerry FC.
- Kerry FC have not won an away game in the First Division 2026 after nine attempts, with three draws and six defeats.
- UCD have won six, drawn one, and lost two of their nine home matches in the First Division 2026.
Top vs bottom in a battle for Dublin bragging rights
University College Dublin FC head into the season in second spot in the First Division 2026 with 33 points from 19 matches, but have failed to string a run together recently with two wins and three losses in their last five league matches.
Andy Myler was appointed as UCD's coach in December 2019 and has overseen a youth development programme and a progressive style of football that has seen his team dominate the ball and score goals.
The Students play a 4-2-3-1 with an emphasis on possession and midfield control, but it is their youthful attacking talent that has really made the difference in recent results, such as 5-0 drubbing of Finn Harps away from home five days ago.
Kerry FC are still in the hunt for playoff contention but currently sit eighth in the league with 19 points from 19 games. They come into this game on the back of a 1-0 home victory against Athlone Town, but having lost their previous two away matches.
The Rebels play a more pragmatic brand of football, setting up in a compact 4-2-3-1 system designed to be tough to break down and score when they can on the counter-attack. Colin Healy has done a good job of getting the most out of a team with limited resources, particularly in the early stages of their second season at this level.
Students have the edge in Dublin
Ryan Kelliher is the main goal threat for the Rebels, scoring two of their five goals in their last five games, and he is their main source of confidence in attack. Kerry FC will have to make a game of this, given UCD have a solid home record in the division, but it should be close if Healy can keep them organised.
Momentum is with UCD after back-to-back wins and a thrashing of Finn Harps five days ago, but Kerry FC will be confident that they can frustrate the hosts, having held them to a 1-1 draw at Kerry FC's ground two months ago.
UCD have split the last two home games so we can't see any value in backing the hosts at 71/100 with Kerry FC at 169/50 and the draw at 5/2. It will come down to whether UCD's more creative players can make a breakthrough or if Kerry can nick a goal on the break.
UCD score on average 1.78 goals per home match in the First Division 2026 while conceding just 0.78 per game, but Kerry FC have scored just 0.78 goals per away match and conceded 1.67. We'll chance that UCD's strength at home is enough to win the game, but Kerry FC's structure can keep it close for a while, so we'll take 'Over 2.5 goals' at 22/25.
