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Republic of Ireland v England
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Kick Off: Saturday 7th September at 17:00
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Competition: Nations League
The Republic of Ireland and neighbours England will collide in Dublin for the first time in almost a decade when the old rivals both begin new eras at the Aviva Stadium in the Nations League on Saturday evening.
Heimir Hallgrímsson takes charge of Ireland for the first time following his appointment in July, though this weekend’s clash in the Irish capital is an even more significant event for interim England boss, Lee Carsley.
Carsley, who represented Ireland 40 times as a player, faces the prospect of a frosty reception when he leads England into battle on his former stomping ground.
Republic of Ireland v England Best Bets
➡️ Declan Rice to be fouled 1+ times @ 2.25 with Paddy Power
➡️ Bukayo Saka to have 1+ shots on target @ 1.62 with Paddy Power
England have been priced as 1.44 favourites to leave Dublin with a win on Saturday, however, with new coaches in both dugouts and an emotionally-charged home crowd likely to impact performances on the pitch, it might be wise to steer clear of match result markets here.
Instead, a couple of options in the individual player markets hold more appeal. Declan Rice is certain to feel the heat from Irish supporters in Dublin, while Ireland’s players could also single him out for rough treatment. Rice turned out for Ireland three times in 2018 before switching allegiances to England in controversial style.
The midfielder, who has been fouled 0.80 times per 90 for Arsenal in the Premier League this term, was also fouled once in three of his last four appearances at the Euros so Declan Rice to be fouled 1+ times offers excellent value here.
Elsewhere, Bukayo Saka to have 1+ shots on target is also of interest. The Arsenal winger has been in supremely confident form in the opening weeks of the new club campaign and has been averaging 3.52 shots and 2.46 attempts on target per 90 minutes for the Gunners so far.
Saka can transfer that game-changing form to the international scene in Dublin against an Irish side that lacks quality and pace at left back.
📂 Republic of Ireland v England Cheat Sheet
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📊 Republic of Ireland Form and Stats
The Republic of Ireland chose to end their three-year Stephen Kenny experiment shortly after a dismal Euro 2024 campaign that produced just two wins in eight matches, with both of those victories coming against group whipping boys, Gibraltar.
Kenny finished his tenure with an underwhelming 27.5% win rate, though he did manage to blood several promising young players including Brentford’s Nathan Collins, Ipswich’s Chiedozie Ogbene and Brighton’s Evan Ferguson.
Leaning heavily into his passing-football philosophy, Kenny was often criticized for his lack of tactical flexibility and while Ireland averaged more shots per 90 (14.1) than they conceded (12.4) during their failed Euro 2024 qualification campaign, they ultimately lacked the quality required at key moments at both ends of the pitch.
Kenny’s successor, Heimir Hallgrímsson, who masterminded Iceland’s famous win over England in the Round of 16 at Euro 2016, is more of a pragmatist and the 57-year-old might be able to get more out of an Irish squad short on stardust.
Ireland, who have scored one or fewer goals in ten of their last 13 fixtures, aren’t likely to be prolific under Hallgrímsson, though they have a doggedness that makes them difficult to beat, especially in Dublin.
The Republic were unbeaten in 22 of their last 30 matches on Irish soil and they haven’t conceded more than two goals in a single home game since November 2017 (1-5 vs Denmark).
📊 England Form and Stats
For the first time since 2016, England will approach an international fixture with a new manager on Saturday when interim boss Lee Carsley selects a Three Lions XI to face the Republic of Ireland.
England’s run to the final of Euro 2024 was achieved against a backdrop of widespread negativity around performances and constant criticism aimed at Gareth Southgate, making a summer switch in the dugout inevitable.
The Three Lions were unbeaten under Southgate’s watch and scored 22 times in eight matches during their qualification push for the Euros in Germany, however, Southgate oversaw a dreadful Nations League campaign before that.
England failed to win any of their six Nations League fixtures in 2022/23 and were relegated to the competition’s second tier as a consequence, though from the outside at least, it felt as though little importance was placed on the tournament from an English perspective.
Still, Carsley will be keen to make a positive impact against Ireland and Finland during the September international break to enhance his chances of landing the gig on a full-time basis.
England scored one or fewer goals in eight of their last ten games under Southgate, so Carsley is tasked with extracting more from the exciting pool of attacking talent at the country’s disposal.
Carsley has worked with numerous members of his first England squad before having coached the country’s U21s for three years, so he won’t need much time to build relationships.
England’s caretaker boss must plan without the services of Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins and Phil Foden however, after all three players withdrew from the squad with injuries, while Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham is also missing.
Bukayo Saka, who has four goal involvements in three Premier League starts for Arsenal, will be eager to carry his club form onto the international stage.
⚔️ Republic Ireland v England Head-to-Head
The Republic of Ireland and England last crossed paths four years ago in a friendly encounter at an empty Wembley Stadium in November 2020.
The wide gap in class between the sides was evident on that occasion when goals from Harry Maguire, Jadon Sancho and Dominic Calvert-Lewin allowed England to canter to a 3-0 victory.
To compound the visitor’s misery, former Irish youth international, Jack Grealish, provided the assist for England’s second goal during a routine evening’s work for the hosts.
That was England’s most emphatic triumph over Ireland since the 1950s, however. Generally speaking, encounters between the historic antagonists have been decided by slender margins.
Five of the six meetings between Ireland and England between 1990 and 2015 finished all square, with four of those stalemates ending with 1-1 scorelines, while the Three Lions haven’t won on Irish soil since a 3-1 friendly win over the Boys in Green in 1964.
Somewhat surprisingly, just a single yellow card was brandished across Ireland and England’s last two skirmishes in 2020 and 2015. However, don’t be surprised if Saturday’s game is played with more of an edge.
This weekend’s showdown is Ireland and England’s first competitive meeting since 1991. The Republic are unbeaten in four previous competitive encounters with their rivals.
Football Betting Predictions at Andy’s Bet Club
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* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.
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