Will England clinch Nations League promotion, or can Republic of Ireland upset the odds at Wembley?
England vs Republic of Ireland Preview
England were widely-expected to claim first place in Nations League Group B2 with little difficulty and, while this has not been the case, their fate is in their own hands. Having suffered a shock defeat when Greece visited North West London last month, the Three Lions simply had to win in Athens on Thursday to keep their hopes of top spot alive, ideally requiring victory by two-clear goals to leapfrog the Greeks by virtue of head-to-head.
Well, the night could hardly have gone much better for Lee Carsley, commencing in the seventh minute when Ollie Watkins, who he'd surprisingly started in attack, broke the deadlock. Some excellent saves from Jordan Pickford were then required to preserve England's slender advantage, before two quick-fire late goals secured the emphatic victory needed. First, Jude Bellingham burst through midfield, with his subsequent shot ricocheting off the post and then in via the goalkeeper before, moments later, Curtis Jones marked his senior debut with an impudent back-heal flick. Thus, 3-0 it finished at the Spyros Louis Olympic Stadium, catapulting England to the top of this group.
Controversially, Thomas Tuchel's isn't taking over until next year, because he wants to focus on the World Cup. Well, if the Three Lions were to slip-up here and finish second, this would scupper his plans as they'd face a two-legged play-off in March to get back into League A. Nevertheless, the mid-week victory in Athens leaves England in pole position, knowing a victory at Wembley would rubber stamp their return to the top-tier, irrespective of what Greece can do in Helsinki simultaneously.
Republic of Ireland's fate in this group has already been decided, meaning they have nothing tangible to play for but, make no mistake about it, the visitors will be ultra-motivated to cause an upset. In mid-week, the Boys in Green beat Finland 1-0 in Dublin, with Evan Ferguson's header on the cusp of half time the only goal of the night, but only because Caoimhín Kelleher pulled-off a jaw-dropping penalty save later on. Having defeated the Finns home and away, but lost their other three fixtures, Heimir Hallgrímsson's team are guaranteed to remain third.
This'll see them enter March's relegation play-offs, taking on a League C runner-up, with Slovakia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, and Armenia their current, potential opponents. Did you know? Ireland are the only ever-presents in Nations League B, never going higher or lower, but they'll need to win that aforementioned play-off to maintain this fact. Dating back seven years, Ireland have won only 11 of 48 competitive internationals, their only away victories during this period coming against Gibraltar, Azerbaijan and Luxembourg; hardly an illustrious list of scalps! Thus, those bedecked in Green making the pilgrimage to Wembley on Sunday will certainly do so more in hope than expectation, but can Ireland beat their fierce rivals on English soil for the first time since 1949? Probably not.
England vs Republic of Ireland Head-to-Head Record
- Matches Played: 18.
- England Wins: 7. Draws: 9. Republic of Ireland Wins: 2.
England Team News
The build-up to the Greece game was dominated by drop-outs, with the following players all not available: Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kobbie Mainoo, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Levi Colwill, Luke Shaw and Jarrad Branthwaite.
Of those involved, Lee Carsley made a huge call in Athens, starting Ollie Watkins instead of his captain Harry Kane, a decision that paid off. Nevertheless, it seems likely that England's record goalscorer will return to the team this time. In defence meanwhile, Ezri Konsa was taken off at half time on Thursday, replaced by debutants Lewis Hall, a switch that saw Kyle Walker deputise in the middle. If Konsa isn't good to go, either Jarell Quansah or Taylor Harwood-Bellis, both of whom are currently uncapped, will come in as Marc Guéhi's partner. In midfield, Curtis Jones surely did enough on his debut to keep his place. Morgan Rogers earned his first cap off the bench on Thursday while Morgan Gibbs-White and Jarrod Bowen, both of whom were also introduced during the second half, will be hoping to see more minutes here.
England predicted lineup vs Republic of Ireland: (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Walker, Harwood-Bellis, Guéhi, Lewis; Gomes, Jones, Bellingham, Madueke, Gordon; Kane.
England Player to Watch vs Republic of Ireland
Of Harry Kane's record-breaking 68 England goals, 28 have been scored at Wembley. To date, he's found the net against 31 different national teams, seeking to add Republic of Ireland to this tally.
Republic of Ireland Team News
Heimir Hallgrímsson's team travel without Séamus Coleman, Shane Duffy, Chiedozie Ogbene and Adam Idah due to injury, while Jason Knight's yellow card on Thursday means he is suspended. Thus, Jayson Molumby is likely to come in midfield while, assuming Hallgrímsson sticks with a back four, Festy Ebosele will keep his place on the right-wing. On the other side, Callum O'Dowda filled-in at left-back against Finland, but Ryan Manning could offer a more defensively solid alternative, while Mikey Johnston earned rave reviews for his performance further forward on that flank. Caoimhín Kelleher was the hero in mid-week, likely to be very busy here, starting an eighth successive international, his most prolonged spell in the side, with Gavin Bazunu sidelined long-term.
Republic of Ireland predicted lineup vs England: (4-4-2): Kelleher; Doherty, Collins, Scales, O'Dowda; Ebosele, Cullen, Molumby, Johnston; Szmodics, Ferguson.
Republic of Ireland Players to Watch vs England
Sammie Szmodics and Evan Ferguson, both of whom have scored in the Premier League so far this season, will spearhead the Irish attack. Ferguson nodded home his fourth international goal on Thursday, now seeking to score in back-to-back Ireland appearances for the very first time.
England vs Republic of Ireland Prediction
We're forecasting a very routine England victory on Sunday evening. The Three Lions swatted Ireland aside in Dublin two months ago, 2-0 up inside half an hour in a non-contest, with a similar outcome forecast at Wembley, a venue at which the Boys in Green have never won in seven previous attempts: England 3-0 Republic of Ireland.
England vs Republic of Ireland FAQs - UEFA Nations League
How to watch England vs Republic of Ireland UEFA Nations League game on TV channel?
England vs Republic of Ireland UEFA Nations League game will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: ITV1
- USA: fuboTV, Fubo Sports Network, ViX & Tubi
- Canada: DAZN Canada
How to watch England vs Republic of Ireland UEFA Nations League game on live streaming?
England vs Republic of Ireland UEFA Nations League game will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: ITVX
- USA: fuboTV, Fubo Sports Network, ViX & Tubi
- Canada: DAZN Canada
What is the date and kick-off time for England vs Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Nations League?
England vs Republic of Ireland takes place on Sunday 17 November 2024, with kick off at 17:00 (GMT), 12:00 (EDT) & 9:00 (PST).