England vs Rep Of Ireland, 8pm Wembley Stadium
England warm up for their pivotal Nations League clashes with Belgium and Iceland on Thursday as they welcome the Republic of Ireland to Wembley for a normally heated but friendly encounter.
The visitors also have Nations League fixtures to keep in mind, but Stephen Kenny’s men have performed dismally in the tournament and will be hoping to pull off a monumental shock in midweek.
A clash with an out-of-sorts Ireland side is just what the doctor ordered for Gareth Southgate’s England, who will be determined to prove that they have put their pitiful defeat to Denmark behind them ahead of two imperative Nations League showdowns.
No Three Lions fan wants to be reminded of that fateful night in October, which saw Harry Maguire given his marching orders just before the half hour mark, and former Tottenham Hotspur man Christian Eriksen marking his return to the Wembley turf with the winner from 12 yards.
England’s final group game with Iceland may be insignificance depending on the outcome of their encounter with Belgium, and with Southgate sure to go all out this weekend in their bid to make the finals, fans can expect to see a heavily-altered line-up for the visit of Rep Of Ireland.
October saw Ireland’s hopes of qualifying for the European Championships dashed as Kenny’s men lost their playoff semi-final on penalties to Slovakia, although the Boys in Green do boast a relatively strong friendly record ahead of their trip to Wembley.
Indeed, Ireland are unbeaten in their last five exhibition matches and picked up successive 3-1 victories over Bulgaria and New Zealand in their most recent friendly encounters last year.
Predictions:
England Win BTTS @21/10
Over 3.5 Match Goals @7/4
BTTS @11/10
Team News:
Southgate has not included any uncapped players for November’s fixtures, but several fringe names are expected to be given the chance to impress, starting with Nick Pope in goal over Jordan Pickford.
Tyrone Mings, Bukayo Saka and Jack Grealish are all among those who will be hoping to make the starting line-up here, while 17 year old Jude Bellingham has also been called up with James Ward-Prowse withdrawing through injury.
Ireland will also be looking to avoid any injury concerns before the Nations League takes centre stage, with youngsters such as Adam Idah, Jayson Molumby and Dara O’Shea all potentially starting here.
However, Sheffield United’s Enda Stevens and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Aaron Connolly have been forced to withdraw through injury, while West Bromwich Albion forward Callum Robinson has tested positive for coronavirus and will miss out as well.
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