The Republic of Ireland head into Sunday night’s Nations League clash with Greece looking to build upon a maiden victory in the current edition of the competition against Finland.
Thursday night’s 2-1 League B2 success in Helsinki has raised spirits three games into head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson’s reign, but no-one within the camp is allowing themselves to be carried away ahead of what is certain to be a challenging encounter.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the talking points surrounding the game.
Three-sy does it?
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In fielding three central defenders in his starting line-up in Helsinki, Hallgrimsson gave his rearguard flexibility. At times, they played as a four with Dara O’Shea operating at right-back, match-winner Robbie Brady on the left and skipper Nathan Collins and Liam Scales teaming up in the middle. However, on paper at least, it was ostensibly a central three of O’Shea, Collins and Scales with Brady and Chiedozie Ogbene, admittedly from an advanced position, playing as wing-backs. That versatility served them well in Finland – it remains to be seen whether or not they can replicate it against the more technically-gifted Greeks.
Striking the balance
Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson is playing his way back to match fitness after injury (Brian Lawless/PA)
Nineteen-year-old Brighton frontman Evan Ferguson led the line against the Finns despite having played only 85 minutes of football for his club and 35 for his country following his return from an ankle injury, and was clearly and understandably short of match sharpness. Whether he can start two games in four days is a question Hallgrimsson must resolve before he finalises his team, with Celtic striker Adam Idah and AZ Alkmaar counterpart Troy Parrott itching for more than the few minutes they got in Helsinki as substitutes.
Double trouble
Mick McCarthy is the last manager to guide the Republic of Ireland to back-to-back competitive victories (Niall Carson/PA)
Thursday’s win was all the more welcome as they have been hard to come by in recent seasons, with only six of the previous 31 competitive games having yielded maximum points. Back-to-back victories have been even rarer – 38 games have passed since Mick McCarthy’s men beat Gibraltar and Georgia, currently ranked 198th and 66th respectively by FIFA, in successive Euro 2000 qualifiers in March 2019. A double over Finland and Greece – 64th and 48th to Ireland’s 62nd – would represent a more significant achievement.
Beware Greeks…
Greece have beaten the Republic of Ireland three times in the last 16 months (Niall Carson/PA)
Ireland and Greece have become familiar foes in recent seasons with Sunday’s meeting the fourth in 16 months. Worryingly for Hallgrimsson and his players, the Republic have lost the last three. The Greeks dealt Irish hopes of Euro 2024 qualification a major blow in June last year when goals from Anastasios Bakasetas and Giorgos Masouras secured a 2-1 win after Collins had equalised, and they doubled the dose in Dublin in the reverse fixture when Giorgos Giakoumakis and Masouras scored in a 2-0 win. Hallgrimsson’s side slipped to a 2-0 Nations League defeat last month with Fotis Ioannidis and Christos Tzolis this time doing the damage.
High emotions
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Sometimes football has to take a back seat, and it did so for Greece this week following the news of defender George Baldock’s death at the age of just 31. His team-mates did him proud on Thursday night when they beat England 2-1 at Wembley, but Sunday’s game on home soil in Athens is certain to be hugely emotional for head coach Ivan Jovanovic and his players.