It doesn’t seem so long ago that Stephen Kenny’s Ireland side were being beaten 1-0 by Luxembourg at the Aviva Stadium, putting their World Cup qualification hopes in jeopardy after just two matches but now here we are with just two qualifiers left and with Ireland, seemingly, starting to gel together and look like the team Kenny envisioned.
Last month’s 3-0 win over Azerbaijan away and 4-0 victory over Qatar at home need to be taken in the context of the quality of opposition on show but, either way, there’s no doubting that there is a buzz around this Kenny team which was sorely lacking under previous managers.
So, with two qualifiers left before the focus turns to next year’s Nations League, here is all you need to know.
What is it?
It’s the final two matches of Ireland’s 2022 World Cup qualification campaign with Portugal and Luxembourg the opposition.
When is it?
Ireland will meet Portugal at a sold out Lansdowne Road at 7.45pm on Thursday before taking on Luxembourg at the Stade de Luxembourg on Sunday at 7.45pm.
What are the other fixtures in the group?
The top two in Group A is already sealed with Serbia and Portugal taking those spots but only a point separates them so it’s all still to play for given that only first place qualifies automatically while second must go through a playoff.
Serbia currently sit top with 17 points but only have one match left while Portugal are second on 16 points with two matches left - the first of which is against Ireland on Thursday. What’s more, Portugal and Serbia play each other in the final match on Sunday in Lisbon so, whatever happens in Dublin on Thursday, it’ll come down to the wire for who finishes first and second.
Group A fixtures
Thursday, November 11th: Azerbaijan v Luxembourg (5pm), Ireland v Portugal (7.45pm).
Sunday, November 14th: Luxembourg v Ireland (7.45pm), Portugal v Serbia (7.45pm).
With qualification chances long gone, what do Ireland have to play for?
Plenty. While world ranking points are always important for how Ireland will be seeded in next year’s draw for the Euro 2024 qualifiers, it is very important for Stephen Kenny and his side to build on what was achieved last month and continue to make strides forward.
The debate around Kenny’s capabilities as an international manager has gripped Irish football since he took over with plenty of former players wasting no time in sticking the boot in. However, it does seem that the general football public in Ireland believe in what Kenny is trying to achieve and are willing to give him time. Last month’s wins with eight goals in two games and the very near miss after a good performance away to Portugal in Faro have shown that Kenny’s efforts are starting to reap some rewards.
The speed at which tickets sold out for Thursday’s match at home to Portugal and the expected numbers of Ireland fans travelling to Luxembourg for Sunday’s final qualifier show that there is a buzz and an excitement around what Kenny is doing - something which you couldn’t imagine would be the case at this stage of a campaign under certain previous managers.
While the match against Portugal is somewhat of a free hit given that there would be no shame in losing to the 2016 European champions, a good performance will, at the very least, be expected while a final day victory over Luxembourg would also be key to maintaining that positivity heading into the Nations League draw next month with those matches beginning in June 2022.
How can I follow it?
The Irish Times liveblog will begin for both matches at 7pm while you can also watch both live on RTÉ2 where coverage begins at 7pm. Both matches will also be on Sky Sports with the Portugal match on Sky Sports Main Event and the Luxembourg match on Sky Sports Football. Coverage for both begins at 7.30pm.
Can I get tickets?
Unfortunately not. Tickets for Portugal on Thursday sold out on the day they went on sale while Ireland allocation of 1,000 for the visit to Luxembourg was oversubscribed with home end tickets also now sold out.
