Republic of Ireland vs France
If you’re Ireland, you couldn’t have picked a worse start to their Euro 2024 qualifiers, as they’ll host France at the Aviva Stadium on Monday to kick off their campaign.
This will be the hosts’ first competitive match of 2023 after hosting Latvia in an international friendly on Wednesday, where they beat them with a score of 3-2.
Ireland are alongside France, Greece, Gibraltar, and the Netherlands in Group B of the Euro 2024 qualifiers, so they’re in for a tough time trying to come away with a top two spot after the group stage.
Despite coming off a win, the pre-game SBOTOP Euro 2024 odds have Ireland as the underdogs because of their lack of quality compared to France, who are coming off a 4-0 victory over the Netherlands last night.
The dominant win by Les Bleus is one of the biggest Euro 2024 results so far, and they joined Greece at the top of Group B after the Greeks secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Gibraltar.
Talking Points
Ireland’s intriguing talents give reason for optimism
Ireland’s overall quality may not be at par with France’s, but they have a couple of players to look out for during this qualifying campaign.
Evan Ferguson, Will Smallbone, and Chiedozie Ogbene are all young and fast, and the three of them can revolutionise Stephen Kenny’s tactics up front.
Ferguson, who is only 18 years old, is developing into one of Europe’s most talented forwards. With seven goals and three assists so far this year, he is Brighton’s third-leading scorer.
Ferguson’s stock is rapidly rising, and reports claim that he is linked to a possible move to either Manchester United or Newcastle.
Will Smallbone was named man of the match in their victory against Latvia, and for good reason, as he was involved in two of Ireland’s three goals. The 23-year-old midfielder plays for Stoke City in the Championship on loan from Southampton.
Chiedozie Ogbene was the hero against Latvia as he scored the game-winning goal after Ireland saw their two-goal lead evaporate. The 25-year-old winger came off the bench, and he was in the right place at the right time to tap the ball in for the win.
Ogbene plays for Rotherham United, who are 20th in the Championship this season.
Mbappe deserves France’s captain’s armband
Kylian Mbappe’s France captaincy is off to a great start, as he led the way in their wire-to-wire win against the Netherlands.
Antoine Griezmann and Dayot Upamecano put in two goals in the first six minutes, and then Kylian Mbappe added two more for good measure.
Mbappe passed Karim Benzema as France’s fifth-best all-time scorer, as he now has 38 goals in 67 games. The PSG superstar is just 24 years old, and he can top the scoring charts when all is said and done.
When Raphael Varane and Hugo Lloris confirmed their retirement from international football, Didier Deschamps decided to give the captain’s armband to Kylian Mbappe, which has received mixed reactions within their camp.
Antoine Griezmann was reportedly disappointed since he felt deserving of such honour, especially after a fine campaign in last year’s World Cup. But last night made it clear that the Mbappe era has just begun.
History
France and Ireland will meet in a competitive game for the first time since the knockout stages of Euro 2016, where Les Bleus beat the Boys in Green with a score of 2-1.
In the said game, Ireland thought they were about to pull off the upset when Robbie Brady put them up by one goal after the first two minutes. However, Antoine Griezmann came out firing in the second half and recorded a brace to claim the victory.
Two years later, these two nations competed in an exhibition match, which France won again with a score of 2-0, as Olivier Giroud and Nabil Fekir scored within the 40th and 43rd minute.
The Boys in Green have scored just two goals in their last six encounters with France, failing to score in four of them. However, Ireland have scored first in two of their last three meetings.
Ireland aim to make it back to the Euros for the first time since 2016, where they went as far as the Round of 16. They didn’t qualify for 2020 because they finished third in Group D behind Switzerland and Denmark. On the other hand, France have competed in all Euros since 1992, last winning it in 2000. In 2020, Les Bleus went as far as the Round of 16, losing to Switzerland on penalties.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
