Ireland has not been doing well lately. After poor Euro qualifiers, where they had two wins against Gibraltar and six losses, there was a coaching rotation. Temporarily, John O'Shea led the team and he managed to achieve a prestigious 2-1 victory at home against Hungary in a friendly, followed by a 0-3 loss as a guest to Portugal. Now, former Iceland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson will make his debut at the helm, with whom Iceland reached its peak by eliminating England at Euro 2016.
Although for the first time in its history England played in two consecutive European finals, the era of Gareth Southgate at the helm of the team has ended. England is still searching for its new permanent coach, with the team currently being led by former youth coach Lee Carsley, who is a former Irish national and was recently considered as a new coach for Ireland. It remains to be seen how England will perform in the Nations League, after being relegated from League A, where they did not record a single victory in the last edition of the tournament.
Prediction: +1.5 AH for Ireland, under 3.5 goalsFive out of the last six matches between them ended in a draw. And now I do not expect a convincing victory, although if there is a winner, it will probably be England. As a safe bet, under 3.5 goals in the match can be placed, with even under 2.5 goals seeming quite likely, judging by the recent performances of both teams.
This text is an AI-assisted translation in English. Link to the original source in Bulgarian ➔We will focus your attention on the match between Republic of Ireland and England. The first match for both teams in the Nations League. There is always a lot of passion and emotions in such duels, and it is not by chance that in 17 matches between these opponents we have seen 9 draws. The Irish are among the most uncomfortable opponents for England lately, to a much greater extent than Scotland, for example.
Both teams are led by new managers. The English will be led by Lee Carsley, who is an interim manager. It is expected that in 2025 the idea is to appoint a permanent manager. The name of Pep Guardiola is mentioned, but we will see if this will be a fact. Carsley gained fame and titles with England's youth teams, calling up players like Noni Madueke, Tino Livramento, and Morgan Gibbs-White, who may not be the first youth, but represent a rejuvenation of the squad compared to the players who were part of the previous team. Together with young players like Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, and others, they can bring something very different to England.
At the helm of Ireland is Heimir Hallgrímsson. This is the man who, together with Lars Lagerbäck, led Iceland to Euro 2016, when they caused one of the most humiliating moments in England's history. Now comes his debut for the Boys against England. I think the quality of the English players will have an impact, but in the first half it seems to me that it will be terribly emotional, and only after the break will the mastery and greater class of the English players have an impact. The feeling is of success for England, but a difficult one, forged in the second half or even at the end of the match.
This text is an AI-assisted translation in English. Link to the original source in Bulgarian ➔