Ireland take on the visitors France in the round 2 match of UEFA Euro 2024 qualification. The match will be played on Monday, March 27th at Aviva Stadium (Dublin).
Ireland is considered a mid-tier in European football. With clarification: clubs of a decent level in Ireland are practically absent, and any participation in the group stage of even the most obscure European cup already becomes an event. But there is neighboring England, where footballers who receive calls play in clubs both in the Premier League and in the Championship. Such a "school" should, in theory, provide results, but as a rule, in recent cycles, the "greens" have not progressed in the qualification beyond third place in their group. This was the case last year in the Nations League when they only managed to beat the clear outsider of the quartet, Armenia. However, firstly, Stephen Kenny remained in charge, which means his work was considered at least satisfactory. Secondly, at home in Dublin, the Irish are still very dangerous. In 2022, they crushed the "mountain dwellers," the future group winner, 3-0 there. The new year began with a friendly match against Latvia. They quickly scored twice, then allowed the guests to level the score, but in the end, they still won 3-2.
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France under Deschamps survived the shock of losing in the "home" Euro final and managed to win the "gold" of the 2018 World Cup. But after that peak, there was a lot of criticism in favor of Didier and his wards. They had a de facto failure in the Euro and in terms of the level of play and, partly, results, both in the World Cup qualifiers and in the Nations League, the "roosters" received many claims. But everything was crossed out in Qatar at the World Cup. There, Kylian Mbappe and company managed to confidently pass to the final, pleasing with their game and dedication - what should we say about how Griezmann worked for the team, which is actually perceived as a creator, an "artist." But still, in the end, Argentina was stronger. And not so much due to Messi's goals but thanks to Emiliano Martinez's saves - both in the 120+ minute, after the "sudden death" strike of Kolo Muani, and in the decisive penalty shootout. In any case, it was a worthy "silver," and the coach remained in his post. Although it prompted Benzema's decision to "quit" simultaneously with Lloris and, unexpectedly, Varane, there are still several potentially injured key players. They had to start with a match against a direct competitor, the Netherlands. It went pretty well: they quickly opened the score, added another 2 before halftime, and then scored 4 more in the second half.
Overall, the French looked better in head-to-heads. But everyone remembers how in 2009, in the playoffs, Ireland bounced back after losing 0-1 away, and only a scandalous goal in extra time brought the favorite a pass to the World Cup. Of course, the World Cup finalist is stronger by far, even with the home field advantage. So, it's safe to bet on a victory for Mbappe and company with a handicap of "-1 goal".
Prediction for the match: France to win with -1.0 handicap.
