18 mins: Dour game so far, crowd is flat too. Hopefully Ireland can pick it up a bit. Ogbene gets the ball on the wing but his cross is blocked.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
14 mins: A corner for Ireland won by Szmodics but Smallbone’s corner is headed away.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
11 mins: First chance of the game, Koulierakis with a good front post header from the corner and just over the bar for Greece.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
6 mins: Again Tsimikas finds space on the wing but his cross is overhit. Not too much happening in the early stages.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
2 mins: Collins heads away an early cross from Tsimikas. Greece look to be pressing high on Ireland.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
No booing of the Greek national anthem anyway. Here’s the teams again:
Ireland: Caoimhin Kelleher; Nathan Collins (capt), Andrew Omobamidele, Dara O’Shea, Robbie Brady; Jayson Molumby, Jason Knight, Alan Browne, Will Smallbone; Chiedozie Ogbene, Sam Szmodics.
Greece: Odysseas Vlachodimos; Lazaros Rota, Ntinos Mavopanos, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Kostas Tsimikas; Manolis Siopis, Andreas Bouchalakis; Taos Chatzigiovanis, Tasos Bakasetas (capt), Christos Tolis, Fotis Ioannidis
On the sheet, it says Ireland will line up in a 4-4-1-1 formation with Knight behind Szmodics. Hallgrimsson says on RTÉ, Ireland will have more of the ball. “We need to find the right players, and keep playing them, and more confidence in them playing.”
There is every reason for Ireland to be braced for tough Greek test, writes James McDermott.
“Appropriately, this feeling is strongest when they face Greece, who have won four and drawn one of their five matches against Ireland, with the Republic only scoring a single goal. Last year Greece completed a double over Ireland, winning 2-1 in Athens and 2-0 at the Aviva Stadium to secure a play-off spot for Euro 2024.
“The chasm between the countries is even more pronounced at club level, as illustrated in August when PAOK eased past Shamrock Rovers on a 6-0 aggregate scoreline to qualify for the group stage of the Europa League. Things were much closer in 2021 Europa Conference League when Bohemians were unlucky to fall to PAOK on a 3-2 aggregate scoreline.”
[ Every reason for Ireland to be braced for tough Greek testOpens in new window ]
FT: Ireland 2 Latvia 2. 29 shots, 71% possession but a draw in Tallaght for the under-21s. Could be crucial unfortunately in not qualifying with Norway and Italy to come. Not over yet, but a big slip up at home. Here was the equalising goal:
It’s still 2-2 in the under-21s. 89 minutes gone, time is running out for Jim Crawford’s team.
Ireland team is out:
Caoimhin Kelleher; Nathan Collins (capt), Andrew Omobamidele, Dara O’Shea, Robbie Brady; Jayson Molumby, Jason Knight, Alan Browne, Will Smallbone; Chiedozie Ogbene, Sam Szmodics.
An unusual line-up there, hard to tell what formation it will be. Looks to be bolstering the midfield anyway with Browne, Knight coming in and Idah dropped, it looks like Szmodics could be up front.
The Greece team:
Odysseas Vlachodimos; Lazaros Rota, Ntinos Mavopanos, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Kostas Tsimikas; Manolis Siopis, Andreas Bouchalakis; Taos Chatzigiovanis, Tasos Bakasetas (capt), Christos Tolis, Fotis Ioannidis
Ireland are drawing 2-2 with Latvia in the Euro Under-21 qualifying match in Tallaght, still 20 minutes to go but they really need to win that one for qualification.
Gavin Cummiskey focuses his pre-match preview on the not so rosy financials for the FAI:
“The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) need a win tonight against Greece as much as their new manager Heimir Hallgrímsson and the put upon players.
“The association’s cash balance at the end of 2023 was €1.6 million, down from €10.9 million in 2022, as the annual general meeting on Saturday will explain, to service a legacy debt that currently stands at €43.2 million.
“These figures should not directly impact a Nations League fixture where Ireland seek to avoid a third defeat to Greece inside 15 months, but the debt explains why Irish football is knee deep in a decade of austerity.
[ Little respite for Ireland ahead of tricky Greece assignmentOpens in new window ]
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Ireland’s second Nations League game, against Greece at the Aviva Stadium. Saturday was a sobering day against old rivals England as they outclassed Ireland in a 2-0 result that flattered the boys in green. Beating Greece at home is a more realistic aim, but already the pressure is building on the management team after a difficult start. A defeat would put Ireland on the back foot and looking over their shoulder at League C.
Gus Poyet is no longer at the helm as Greece, under new manager Ivan Jovanovic, beat Finland 3-0 in Athens on Saturday with two goals from Panathinaikos striker Fotis Ioannidis. They are a tricky side that had Ireland and Stephen Kenny’s number in the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, beating Ireland home and away
Evan Ferguson will not be fit to start the game, according to manager Heimir Hallgrímsson. Saturday was Ferguson’s first game since sustaining an ankle injury last March. Captain Séamus Coleman will miss the match through injury, his place in the squad is taken by Festy Ebosele. Without Josh Cullen in midfield, a big responsibility lies on Will Smallbone to carry a weak midfield, while if the management continues with five at the back, Ireland need to see more from the wing-back positions. Kick-off is at 7.45pm.
