The football match between Portugal and the Republic of Ireland is set to occur at the Estádio Municipal de Aveiro in Portugal on Tuesday at 7.45pm, and will be aired live on RTÉ 2. This fixture forms part of preparations leading up to the Euros, and Portugal finds itself in the same group as Georgia, whose Head Coach Wily Sagnol stands as the top pick for the FAI to succeed Stephen Kenny as the permanent manager for the Republic of Ireland.
While plans for Kenny’s successor are yet to be announced and are scheduled for after the European Championships, it is speculated that the announcement is being withheld for Sagnol. Meanwhile, the city of Aveiro, home to 80,000 inhabitants, is ready to host the game with approximately 30,000 spectators projected to populate the Estádio Municipal de Aveiro, constructed on the boundaries of the city for Euro 2004.
This relatively small city has been earmarked for the much-anticipated goodbye of football legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe, who is 41 years old. Ronaldo, former teammate of Ireland’s interim head coach John O’Shea at Manchester United, is anticipated to play his last game on home ground. O’Shea commends Ronaldo’s exemplary character and his progression as a footballer, asserting him to be an extraordinary talent.
Whilst an opportunity for an introduction to Tom Cannon is in the offing, the focus for the Republic of Ireland team, headed by coaches Paddy McCarthy and Glenn Whelan, remains firmly with Portugal. This responsibility includes countering the tactical challenges posed by Kenny’s former Irish coach, Anthony Barry, currently an adjunct to Roberto Martinez.
Concerns, however, have been triggered in Portugal following a recent and unexpected 2-1 loss to Croatia, in which the Portuguese team’s strategy was reportedly inadequate, allowing Croatia to disrupt the defence, led by Manchester United full-back Diogo Dalot, and overwhelm the midfield, home to Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes. The local press did not shy away from expressing their ire towards the team.
The thoughts of Luka Modric outclassing two stars from the Premier League have elicited anxiety in the Portuguese populace. Following the World Cup 2022’s episode in Qatar, it became glaring that Ronaldo’s advanced age and unwillingness to challenge defenders was inhibiting the imaginative prowess of Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva. On benching the captain, Portugal cruised to a 6-1 victory over Switzerland, owing to a triumphant treble by Gonçalo Ramos, only to suffer a 1-0 defeat to Morocco in the quarter-final stage.
After the tournament, Martinez, who had an unsuccessful stint in charge of Belgium’s golden epoch, took the reins. However, Portugal had a flawless journey in the qualifiers, winning all 10 matches that were played in 2021 against the likes of Slovakia, Luxembourg, Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Lichtenstein. In the process, they racked up 36 goals and conceded a meagre two, cementing their place as Europe’s top statistical achievers.
Despite the World Cup’s disappointment, Ronaldo’s bond with his country remained intact. Of the ten qualifiers, he graced the field in nine, only missing one due to suspension, and added an impressive ten goals to his tally.
According to O’Shea, any strategies that Portugal employ would have to involve maximizing Ronaldo’s efforts, expressing his conviction that the veteran would be an integral part of their tournament journey.
Kenny might have sidestepped returning to St Pat’s domestic circuit if Ireland had managed to pull off a 1-0 win on the haunting night of September 1st, 2021 at Estadio Algarve. Nevertheless, the game concluded with a 2-1 Portugal victory, with Ronaldo demonstrating his airborne abilities, scoring twice in injury time after an incredible penalty save by Gavin Bazunu. This feat allowed Ronaldo to exceed Ali Daei’s world record of 209 goals.
Ireland later had to settle for a home draw against Azerbaijan, and saw defeat nine months later in the Nations League match in Armenia and against a weakened Ukrainian side at home, incidents that squashed their hopes of progressing to Germany via the play-offs.
As they prepare for the next encounter, they have no John Egan to rely on for a goal. Hopefully, Jake O’Brien steps up to placate the absence of the injured Sheffield United skipper, Nathan Collins, and Andrew Omobamidele.
Shane Duffy’s languid performance in Ireland’s 2-1 triumph over Hungary last week casted doubt over his adequacy as a seasoned defender. Alternatively, Liam Scales appears to have proved his worth to initiate on the left among the three central defenders, especially if Seamus Coleman returns as a right wing-back and Matt Doherty understandably recedes to the bench.
The continual assurance in Coleman falls under the same category as Pepe. Some sportsmen exhibit an enduring prowess. Coleman put Hungary’s captain Dominik Szoboszlai to the test in a small-scale Merseyside derby in Dublin just last week. Taken Coleman’s fervour and Troy Parrott’s final moment victory out of the equation, the lacklustre audience of 29,424 would have been justified in seeking reimbursement.
Given the hype around Ronaldo and Pepe, it’s a challenging match to predict, particularly with the Portuguese team desperate to make amends for their defeat to Croatia. Besides, the Irish players might be distracted by the close-by beaches or their forthcoming return to preseason at clubs in the English Championship. By the time the whistle blows, the temperature will be around 23 degrees.
For Portugal, the anticipated line-up could include Costa (Porto); Cancelo (Barcelona), A Silva (Benfica), Dias (Manchester City), Dalot (Manchester United); Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Palhinha (Fulham), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain); Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Ronaldo (Al Nassr), and Jota (Liverpool).
For Ireland, the potential team might feature Kelleher (Liverpool); Coleman (Everton), O’Shea (Burnley), O’Brien (Olympique Lyons), Scales (Glasgow Celtic), Brady (Preston North End); Cullen (Burnley), Knight (Bristol City); Azaz (Middlesbrough), Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers); and Idah (Norwich City).
The referee is slated to be Chris Kavanagh from England.