We have a Derry City vs Waterford prediction for you, plus a breakdown of the betting odds, form and predicted line-ups ahead of Sunday’s FAI Cup Final.
Derry City have saved their best for the Cup this season, and ended the league season strongly too, with ten points from their last five league games.
Waterford avoided the relegation playoff after a phenomenal second half of the season, securing safety with a 3-2 win at Shelbourne.
Betting Odds
Derry City vs Waterford FAI Cup Final Betting Odds
Team | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Derry City | 20/23 | 53.5% |
Waterford | 11/4 | 26.7% |
Draw | 13/5 | 27.8% |
Derry City are 20/23 to win the final in 90 minutes. Waterford can be backed at 11/4, and the draw after 90 minutes is priced at 13/5.
* Odds are correct at the time of writing, but subject to change.
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Handicap Betting
Derry City -1 – 11/5
Waterford +1 – 20/23
Handicap Draw -1 @ 11/5
These are European handicap prices: Derry City -1 wins if Derry win by two goals or more, Waterford +1 wins if Waterford win or draw, and the handicap draw lands if Derry win by exactly one goal.
How to Watch
How to Watch Derry City vs Waterford
This match kicks off on Sunday at 3:00pm in the Av iva Stadium a nd can be viewed live on RTÉ 2.
Form Guides
Form Guides
Waterford Form Guide
What a turnaround it’s been from Waterford in the second half of the season following the appointment of Graham Coughlan in May! When he arrived, the club were bottom, nine points adrift of Sligo Rovers. Since his first game in Matchday 15 , they’re third in the form table with 35 points, only behind Bohemians (44) and Shamrock Rovers (40).
Second Round – Waterford 2-1 Cobh Ramblers
Third Round – Waterford 2-1 Athlone Town
Quarter Final – Waterford 3-0 Sligo Rovers
Semi-Final – Bohemians 0-2 Waterford
Coughlan has managed each of their FAI Cup ties this season, and though there were some early scares, they’ve really grown into the competition, scoring nine times and conceding only two in the process.
His overall record in charge is 14 victories, 7 draws and only 5 defeats for a win rate of 53.8%. It was no surprise earlier this week that he signed a multi-year contract with the club.
Waterford have won the competition on two occasions, winning it in the 1936/37 season when they beat St James’s Gate 2-1 and in the 1979/80 season when they beat St Patrick’s Athletic 1-0. They’ve also been runners-up seven times in 1941, 1959, 1968, 1972, 1979, 1986 and 2004.
Waterford’s Last Five Results
Shelbourne 2-3 Waterford | October 30th | Win
Waterford 3-1 Drogheda United | October 23rd | Win
Waterford 3-2 Galway United | October 19th | Win
Bohemians 2-1 Waterford | October 16th | Loss
Bohemians 0-2 Waterford | October 9th | Win
4 Wins and 1 Loss
Derry City’s Form Guide
It’s been a turbulent season on and off the field for Derry City for a multitude of reasons, and a fifth-place finish from a side many predicted to end their drought as champions is far from good enough.
However, to the credit of Mark Connolly, since coming in on an interim basis in August, he’s really steadied the ship, guiding them to 18 points, the same tally as Waterford and three fewer than Bohemians.
Second Round – Derry City 3-0 Tolka Rovers
Third Round – UCD 1-2 Derry City
Quarter Final – Derry City 4-2 Dundalk
Semi-Final – Galway United 0-2 Derry City
There has been nothing between the sides in the league this season, with one win apiece, two draws and 10 goals each.
Connolly has managed one of those games, which was a 2-2 draw at the RSC in Waterford. Adam O’Reilly opened the scoring in the 9th minute, Evan McLaughlin equalised against his boyhood club in the 45th minute, Michael Duffy put Derry City ahead again in the 51st minute before Padraig Amond equalised in the 57th minute.
Derry Cit y have won the competition on six occasions. They won it in the 1988/89 season, when they beat Cork City 1-0 in a replay, and in the 1994/95 season, when they beat Shelbourne 2-1. They also beat Shamrock Rovers 1-0 in 2002, St Patrick’s Athletic 4-3 after extra time in 2006, St Patrick’s Athletic again 3-2 after extra time in 2012, and Shelbourne 4-0 in 2022. They’ve also been runners-up six times, in 1988, 1994, 1997, 2008, 2014 and 2024.
Derry City’s Last Five Results
Sligo Rovers 2-2 Derry City | October 30th | Draw
Derry City 2-1 Dundalk | October 23rd | Win
Derry City 1-0 St Patrick’s Athletic | October 19th | Win
Drogheda 2-0 Derry City | October 16th | Loss
Galway United 0-2 Derry City | October 3rd | Win
3 Wins, 1 Draw and 1 Loss
Predicted Lineups
Derry City vs Waterford Predicted Line-Ups
Derry City Predicted Starting XI (3-5-2)
GK: Maher
RCB: Dummigan, CB: Stott, LCB: McClean
RM: Burns, RCM: O’Reilly, CM: Twisk, LCM: Chapman, LM: Fleming
CF: Clarke, CF: Duffy
Waterford Predicted Starting XI (4-4-2)
GK: McMullan
RB: Cann, CB: Mahon, CB: Long, LB: Couto
RM: Voilås, CM: McLaughlin, CM: Noonan, LM: Mawéné
CF: Amond, CF: Lonergan
Mark Connolly is expected to go with a 3-5-2, with Michael Duffy leading the line, while Graham Coughlan sticks with the 4-4-2 built around his strike partnership of Padraig Amond and Tommy Lonergan.
Head-To-Head
Derry City vs Waterford Head-to-Head Results & Stats
Head-to-Head Record
Derry City wins: 13
Waterford wins: 9
Draws: 5
Last Five Results
Waterford 2-2 Derry City | Premier Division | September 14th, 2026
Derry City 2-4 Waterford | Premier Division | July 3rd, 2026
Waterford 2-2 Derry City | Premier Division | May 15th, 2026
Derry City 4-2 Waterford | Premier Division | February 27th, 2026
Waterford 1-2 Derry City | Premier Division | October 17th, 2025
Talking Tactics
Talking Tactics
Derry City
Derry boast real depth of quality, both in the starting XI and on the bench. Their main threat comes out wide, through Brandon Fleming and Michael Duffy, one of the standout players in the league , as well as the exceptionally talented Darragh Burns. With experience in every position, they’ll take some stopping.
Waterford
Waterford have quality too. Benny Couto has 17 assists from left back this season; Conan Noonan and former Derry man Evan McLaughlin provide both quality and industry in the middle of the park . But the key is Padraig Amond and Tommy Lonergan, with 36 goals and 13 assists between them in all competitions this season.
Prediction & Best Bet
Derry City vs Waterford Prediction & Best Bet
Prediction: Derry City 2-1 Waterford
Derry City will be favourites ahead of this final and, given the strength in depth at their disposal, justifiably so.
Waterford have been the in-form team in recent weeks and months and view this as a free hit at European football after avoiding the relegation play-off .
We’re expecting a really competitive final on Sunday, but Derry City’s extra class may just prove the difference in the end.
Best Bets
Simply click/tap on the above betting tips to add to your betslip.
Bet on FAI Cup Odds at BOYLE Sports
*Prices are subject to fluctuation.
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Bill is as passionate about Irish football as they come, with an agonising longing to see his country grace a World Cup stage. A League of Ireland devotee and lifelong Man United fan, he knows better than most what sporting heartbreak feels like, and brings that perspective to the BOYLE Sports Blog. With roots in greyhound racing and a curiosity spanning politics, snooker, WWE and beyond, there is rarely a sporting conversation he cannot add to.
