- Waterford FC have won 4 and drawn 1 of their last 5 matches in all competitions, and have won back-to-back games heading into Monday's match.
- Derry City have won 3 of their last 5 games in all competitions, drawing 1 and losing 1, most recently holding Shamrock Rovers to a 3-3 draw.
- Derry City are the narrow favourites for Monday's game at 107/100, although Waterford FC are not out of the equation at 221/100, and the draw is at 13/5.
Waterford FC can make life difficult for the visitors
Waterford FC can certainly make life tough for the narrow favourites, Derry City, on Monday, but the visitors have just enough experience and quality to come out on top.
Graham Coughlan has moulded a compact, physical side which can press well and transition very quickly, particularly at home, where they have won 4, drawn 7 and lost 3 in the Premier Division 2026. The Blues are a stubborn side, but have not quite been ruthless enough to win enough of their home games this season.
Padraig Amond has found his scoring form in recent weeks, hitting 4 goals in Waterford's last 5 games, while Benny Couto has added 3 assists in the same 5-game span. Tom Lonergan is their main man with 14 goals in 27 Premier Division 2026 appearances, however, and his sort of return can nick a game.
Derry should just have enough to edge it
Derry City, who have won 1, drawn 7 and lost 6 of their away games in the Premier Division 2026, are not quite in the same class as Shamrock Rovers, but Mark Connolly's side should have just a little bit more about them for this trip to Waterford RSC, Ireland.
The Candystripes' approach of possession-based football, coupled with a high-pressing game has been effective this season, but if their full-backs push on, they could leave a little too much space for Waterford's attack to exploit.
Derry have only lost 1 of their last 5, but the 3-3 draw with Shamrock Rovers in their most recent league outing showed that they can hit the ball, but are also prone to getting stretched.
Derry should have enough to take the victory, but a sensible alternative bet is Derry City or draw, as the odds, league standing and recent results all suggest that this will be a tight game.
The last meeting was a goal bonanza
The reverse fixture finished 4-2 to Waterford away from home, and the Blues have won 1 of the last 2 meetings, the other finishing level. Derry have no better head-to-head record, so they may just nick it.
Derry City, who are 6th with 34 points from 29 matches, are 2 places above Waterford FC, who are 8th with 32, so the away side have a slender advantage in the league standings and in the odds.
Waterford have scored an average of 1.36 goals per game at home in the Premier Division 2026, and conceded an average of 1.14, which does not suggest a high-scoring game is likely. Derry have scored an average of 1.07 per away game, and conceded 1.50, so there may be a bit of a gap in this one.
