Euro 2024 qualifier: Republic of Ireland v Greece, Aviva Stadium, Friday 7.45pm – Live RTÉ 2
For what it’s worth, battle lines have been drawn in advance of a European Championship qualifier of enormous importance to Greek football.
Gus Poyet’s settled, bullish outfit need a result in Dublin to remain in contention for automatic progress to Germany 2024, as they round out Group B by hosting the Netherlands and France at the Opap Arena.
Ireland know all about that venue as this Euros campaign ran aground in Athens on June 16th.
Greece are level with the Dutch on nine points, although Ronald Koeman’s side have a vital game in hand against Gibraltar.
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The Republic of Ireland’s also-ran status could be confirmed at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night but that did not stop Irish manager Stephen Kenny from reviving two accusations of gamesmanship levelled at the visitors earlier this week.
“It’s all quite possible,” said Kenny when pressed about his assistant Keith Andrews revealing that Poyet brought an Irish coach, working at an English club, into camp before the June game. “Nobody that was around our camp. But listen, I’m not getting hung up on that and certainly we’re just focused on preparing the team for the game on Friday.”
Kenny also backed up Matt Doherty’s assertion that his red card at the Opap and subsequent two-match suspension was unfair, even stating that “six or seven” Greek players dived to con the match officials.
“They are a streetwise team, we saw that with the sending off of Matt Doherty, which was never a sending off, in terms of players throwing themselves on the ground to get him sent off. We saw players lying down in the game, six or seven players, taking minutes out of the game. That was something that was very prevalent. So they are a very streetwise, very experienced team and we have to know what we are facing.”
Kenny sounded half-frustrated by Greek antics and half in admiration. To the victors went the spoils. He even offered some gallows humour, “I had Theo Zagorakis in the hotel in Castleknock earlier. He’s coming down and we’ll see how he is.”
Now a Greek MEP, Mr Zagorakis will presumably be watching from Brussels.
No surprises are expected from either side with the EFL Championship’s top scorer Sammie Szmodics forced to leave the Ireland camp for “family reasons”. Interestingly, Troy Parrott has not been recalled to replace the uncapped English-born attacker despite scoring recently for loan club Excelsior Rotterdam.
“A criticism from the Holland game was we didn’t create enough chances late on,” said Kenny, “obviously we have more attacking options – Evan Ferguson, Mikey Johnston, Callum Robinson are back. I know they are not playing much at club level but they are available again.”
Oddly, Parrott is also available, yet overlooked.
Tactically, this time Kenny will not be caught cold by Poyet. In Athens, Liverpool wing back Konstantinos Tsimikas exposed Ireland’s three right-sided players – Darragh Lenihan, Callum O’Dowda and Will Smallbone all having a poor night – while Adam Idah and Evan Ferguson were starved of opportunities by Anastasios Bakasetas’s iron grip of midfield.
Greece under Poyet always play 4-3-3 and it nearly got them a result in Paris. But after two years persevering with three centre halves, Kenny could revert to a back four with Matt Doherty and Liam Scales either side of Nathan Collins and Shane Duffy.
With John Egan and Séamus Coleman injured, Duffy will captain Ireland on his 58th cap.
“I’ve got a new role to take on and try to lead by example around the place,” said Duffy. “I try to do it anyway when Séamus is not here but we’re missing John as well, so we’re missing a few big characters.
“But the younger boys are their own characters in their own way. I don’t look at them as young boys any more, they’ve got experience around the place.”
The stage is set for Kenny to mould this side around Ferguson. That suggests Chiedozie Ogbene will bring his impressive Premier League form for Luton to the Aviva, where he was exceptional on the right against France last March, and Johnston could make his first start on the left.
To avoid Bakasetas and pals having the run of midfield, expect Josh Cullen to be flanked by Alan Browne and Jason Knight as the latest Ireland team seeks to strike the balance between creativity and caution.
“I’m not going to discuss how we will play, it wouldn’t make sense for me to do that in the press conference,” Kenny added. “Greece are a good team, a very experienced team, a lot of good players, a lot of experience, a lot of players in their late 20s who have a lot of games under their belt.”
The very situation Ireland hope to experience when Euro 2028 comes to Dublin.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND (possible): Bazunu; Doherty, Collins, Duffy, Scales; Browne, Cullen, Knight; Johnston, Ogbene; Ferguson.
GREECE (possible): Vlachodimos; Rota, Koulierakis, Mavropanos, Tsimikas; Siopis, Kourbelis, Bakasetas; Masouras, Mantalos, Fountas.
Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden).
