England will be eager to start the campaign to return to UEFA Nations League A when they take on the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
The UEFA Nations League is underway, with the latest edition already producing some memorable moments. While much of the focus remains on League A, The presence of England in League B2 means the Three Lions will have the spotlight on them when they lock horns with the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening.
England will begin life under Lee Carsley after the 50-year-old took temporary charge of the national team. Gareth Southgate has called time on his spell with the Three Lions after another defeat in the European Championship final. The new head coach has made significant changes to the squad, while Kieran Trippier has hung up his boots for England.
The Republic of Ireland, like England, will come into the latest international break with a new man in charge of the men’s team. Heimir Hallgrimsson has taken over as the new head coach after leaving Jamaica following the 2024 Copa America. He will aim to imprint his identity on the squad in his first outing in charge of the national team.
England cruised to a 3-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in the most recent clash between the two teams, which happened in November 2020. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Republic of Ireland
Heimir Hallgrimsson has rung in the changes to the squad that featured in the international break in June. However, the new Republic of Ireland head coach has not seen any player pull out from the group ahead of the game against England this Saturday.
David Harrington, Shane Duffy, Enda Stevens, Josh Cullen, Jamie McGrath, Mikey Johnston, Mark Sykes, Finn Azaz, and Tom Cannon have missed the cut. Meanwhile, Hallgrimsson has picked the uncapped duo of Max O’Leary and Kasey McAteer in the latest squad.
Caoimhin Kelleher should take his spot between the sticks, with the Republic of Ireland lining up in a 4-4-2 formation in front of him against England. The backline should feature Dara O’Shea, Nathan Collins, Robbie Brady, and captain Seamus Coleman.
As for the midfield unit, Alan Browne and Will Smallbone will pair up in the central areas. The duo will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park and initiate quick transitions. Callum O’Dowda and Chiedozie Ogbene should be the two wide midfielders, with Evan Ferguson and Adam Idah being the two strikers.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Kelleher; Coleman, O’Shea, Collins, Brady; Ogbene, Browne, Smallbone, O’Dowda; Ferguson, Idah
England
Unlike his counterpart in the Republic of Ireland dugout, Lee Carsley has seen a few players pull out from the squad ahead of the trip to the Aviva Stadium. England’s interim manager has also omitted a few notable players from the latest group of call-ups.
While Kieran Trippier has retired, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Ollie Watkins have withdrawn from the squad. Meanwhile, Aaron Ramsdale, Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw, Joe Gomez, Lewis Dunk, Jude Bellingham, Adam Wharton, and Ivan Toney have missed the cut, with Shaw and Bellingham unavailable due to their injuries.
Jordan Pickford is an automatic pick between the sticks, with England lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against the Republic of Ireland. The backlins should feature Trent Alexander-Arnold, John Stones, Harry Maguire, and Levi Colwill.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo in the double pivot. Eberechi Eze should reprise the no. 10 role in Bellingham and Palmer’s absence. Finally, Harry Kane will lead the line for England, with Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Maguire, Colwill; Rice, Mainoo; Saka, Eze, Gordon; Kane
Key Stats
- On Saturday, the Republic of Ireland will host England for the first time since a goalless draw in a friendly in June 2015. In a competitive match, it is the first time since a November 1990 European Championship qualifier, which ended in a 1-1 draw. The Three Lions won their last meeting with the Republic of Ireland in November 2020. They have not won consecutive games against their rivals since doing so in 1980 and 1985.
- The Republic of Ireland did not win any of their first 12 matches in the UEFA Nations League (D5 L7) but emerged victorious in two of their last four in 2022 (D1 L1), beating Scotland and Armenia.
- England have conceded the opening goal in their four most recent matches, all in the knockout stages of UEFA Euro 2024 (W2 D1 L1). They have not let in the opener in five consecutive games since a run between November 1953 and June 1954. Meanwhile, the Three Lions have scored only 13 goals in 11 games in 2024, having netted 26 in 10 games in 2023. Their 2024 average of 1.2 goals per game is their lowest in a year since 2000 (exactly one per game, 11 goals in 11 games).
- Saturday’s match will be England’s first game without Gareth Southgate in charge since a 1-0 win over Slovakia in September 2016 in Sam Allardyce’s only match as the head coach. Including caretakers, only four managers have lost their first game with the Three Lions: Alf Ramsey (2-5 vs France in 1963), Howard Wilkinson (0-2 vs France in 1999), Peter Taylor (0-1 vs Italy in 2000) and Stuart Pearce (2-3 vs the Netherlands in 2012).
- Cole Palmer has a goal and an assist in his last two England appearances (assist vs Netherlands, goal vs Spain), coming off the bench in each game. The last Chelsea player to net in consecutive England matches was Frank Lampard between September 2012 and May 2013 (five in a row), with the most recent game in that run coming against the Republic of Ireland.
Player to Watch
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Several players across the two squads have a point to prove in the latest international breaks as England and the Republic of Ireland embark on a new era. However, we have picked Trent Alexander-Arnold as he finally has a free hand to establish himself as the first-choice right-back for the away side.
Kieran Trippier has called time on his international career, while Kyle Walker has not found a spot in the squad for the latest international break. So, Alexander-Arnold and Rico Lewis are the only right-backs in the group, with the former likely to get the nod in both matches. The onus is thus on him to stamp his authority in the coming games this month.
Prediction
Republic of Ireland 1-2 England
England will hope that the never-ending struggles to play a free-flowing brand of football have gone with Gareth Southgate’s departure. As iterated earlier, the Three Lions have scored only 13 goals in 11 games in 2024 despite having an enviable collection of attackers.
Meanwhile, the visitors have struggled defensively early in their games, and that issue might surface on Saturday. However, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka should run the show and deliver the three points at the Aviva Stadium, with Trent Alexander-Arnold pulling the strings from the right flank. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Lee Carsley and his charges.
