The inaugural match of the Nations League between Ireland and England is slated to begin at 5pm on Saturday at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, in League B, Group 2. Those interested can tune in on RTÉ2 from 4pm for pre-match coverage or stream the game on the RTÉ Player. For UK viewers, the match will be broadcast on ITV1.
In team updates, Brighton’s Evan Ferguson, who hasn’t been on the field for five months, has been selected for Ireland and is working hard on his fitness levels. Kasey McAteer of Leicester is also part of the squad for the first time due to authorisation from Fifa. Unfortunately, Gavin Bazunu, Josh Cullen, and Mikey Johnston will not play due to injuries.
The team’s goalkeepers are Caoimhín Kelleher from Liverpool, Mark Travers from AFC Bournemouth, and Max O’Leary from Bristol City. Defence will be provided by Séamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Dara O’Shea (Ipswich Town), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Jake O’Brien (Everton), Andrew Omobamidele (Nottingham Forest), Liam Scales (Celtic), Callum O’Dowda (Cardiff City), and Robbie Brady (Preston North End).
Midfielders include Will Smallbone (Southampton), Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Alan Browne (Sunderland), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Kasey McAteer (Leicester City). The forward line-up is Adam Idah (Celtic), Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion), Sammie Szmodics (Ipswich Town), Chiedozie Ogbene (Ipswich Town), Callum Robinson (Cardiff City), and Troy Parrott (AZ Alkmaar).
In other news, Netherlands’ Virgil Van Dijk has pledged his services till the 2026 World Cup after discussions with Ronald Koeman. Manchester United CEO fully supports Erik ten Hag, and Liverpool’s exceptional defence is touted as the pillar for the upcoming season.
In his first endeavour as England’s temporary manager, Lee Carsley surprised many with his initial team selection, which included players such as Angel Gomes, Noni Madueke, Tino Livramento, and Morgan Gibbs-White. Surprisingly, Kyle Walker, preferred option as right-back by Gareth Southgate, was left out. Jack Grealish and Harry Maguire, after not being included in the Euro 2024, made a return to the team. However, Jude Bellingham will be sidelined due to an injury.
Goalkeeping duties will be managed by Dean Henderson from Crystal Palace, Jordan Pickford of Everton, and Nick Pope, who is with Newcastle United.
The players composing the defensive line are Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool, Levi Colwill from Chelsea, Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa, Manchester City’s Rico Lewis, Tino Livramento of Newcastle, Harry Maguire from Manchester United, and John Stones representing Manchester City.
Midfield will see the likes of Phil Foden from Manchester City, Conor Gallagher who is with Atlético Madrid, Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, Angel Gomes of Lille, Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer from Chelsea, and Declan Rice representing Arsenal.
The forward line will include players like Jarrod Bowen of West Ham United, Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, Anthony Gordon playing for Newcastle United, Jack Grealish from Manchester City, Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, Noni Madueke representing Chelsea, Bukayo Saka from Arsenal, and Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa.
The forthcoming match between England and Ireland needs hardly an introduction. However, from the Irish perspective, an interesting aspect will be to observe how Heimir Hallgrímsson, in his debut match as the team’s managerial head, sets up the team. Notably, he co-managed Iceland during their historic 2-1 win against England in the last 16 of Euro 2016. Equally intriguing is to see how Carsley performs in his new role, given he had earned 40 caps for Ireland between 1997 and 2008 and was once a strong contender for the Irish managing role. His early approach by the FAI during the job hunt also evokes interest.
Does destiny have chances in store for us?
Historically, England has faced few defeats at the hands of Ireland, with just two such occasions occurring – during a friendly in September 1949 and the iconic Euro 88. Out of their 17 matches, they have played for a draw nine times, England and Ireland sharing a continuous six match streak of draws from 1990 to 2015. The streak came to an end in their last encounter in 2020, where Ireland failed to impress and was overwhelmed 3-0 by England.
There’s no dispute that England’s team consists of more skilled players compared to Ireland, comprising of several Premier League stars and Harry Kane, the leading striker from Bayern Munich. However, Ireland’s new coach may leverage the potential aftermath of Euro 2024 to achieve a low-scoring draw against England in his inaugural match.
What is the structure of the Nations League?
Ireland is part of League B2 in the Nations League, along with England, Greece, and Finland. League B includes four groups, each with four teams. Each team has to play six matches within their group, adopting the home-and-away round robin format. Group winners ascend to League A, while the team finishing last descends to League C.
The teams placed second and third will compete in play-offs for either promotion or demotion, contested over two legs. Every match is of significance, especially with regards to participation in the 2026 World Cup play-offs. If Ireland does not secure the top spot in their group at that time, their participation hinges on their overall ranking from this Nations League season.