Heimir Hallgrimsson has a massive task on his hands ahead of the next fortnight, as the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualification hopes linger on the two upcoming games against Portugal and Hungary. Having only won five of his 14 international games in the 16 months he has been in charge of the team, the two upcoming fixtures against Portugal and Hungary are the most important ones of his short reign.
Starting with Portugal, Ireland are here to exact revenge on this team, considering the manner in which they lost the reverse fixture in Lisbon last month. A late Ruben Neves penalty in the second-half stoppage time sealed the points for Portugal, which left Ireland in third, a point behind Hungary in the table.
Hallgrimsson’s men revived hopes of World Cup qualification with a narrow win over Armenia, courtesy of a second-half strike from Evan Ferguson, which proved to be the match-winner. With the team heading into the final two qualifiers in third place, they are aware of the need to match or better Hungary’s result this week as the two teams meet next.
Meanwhile, Portugal have one foot in the door, and they are probably a point away from sealing their ticket to the 2026 World Cup. Roberto Martinez’s men have accumulated 10 points from their four qualifiers, with the only instance where they dropped points in that run coming against Hungary.
That game came about after Portugal secured a late win over Ireland, and against Hungary, they had one foot into the World Cup before Dominik Szoboszlai’s late equaliser to share the spoils. Portugal will qualify for the World Cup with a win or a draw, while they could also make the cut if Hungary suffers a defeat against Armenia.
Heimir Hallgrimsson heads into the penultimate qualifier with a depleted squad as some of the first-teamers are missing from action. Chief among them is key striker Evan Ferguson, who has an ankle problem, which would most likely rule him out of both the upcoming qualifiers.
Sammie Szmodics, Mark Sykes, and Callum O’Dowda are also out of contention with injuries. In addition to those, Ryan Manning and Jayson Molumby are suspended for the clash with Portugal.
In the absence of Ferguson, in-form Celtic striker Johnny Kenny has been drafted to the national team squad, but it remains to be seen if the manager begins the game with him, as Troy Parrott is probably in line to lead the line. Adam Idah is also an option, but unlikely to start ahead of Parrott.
Hallgrimsson will continue to deploy a back three of Jake O’Brien, Nathan Collins, and Dara O’Shea, with Seamus Coleman and Liam Scales in the wing-back roles. Josh Cullen and Jack Taylor will be handed the keys to the midfield, while Finn Azaz and Festy Ebosele will play in attacking roles in support of Troy Parrott.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kelleher; O’Brien, Collins, O’Shea; Coleman, Cullen, Taylor, Scales; Azaz, Ebosele; Parrott
Roberto Martinez has his fair share of injury issues with the first team, but given the overall quality he has at his disposal, the Spaniard will name a strong enough lineup against Ireland. Pedro Neto and Pedro Goncalves have withdrawn with groin and muscle problems, respectively.
The absence of Neto could force Martinez to use Bernardo Silva in the right wing, with Rafael Leao taking the other flank in the attacking third. Vitinha and Ruben Neves are the likely choices for the central midfield spots.
Renato Veiga might be given another start at the back alongside Ruben Dias. Nelson Semedo and Diogo Dalot are pencilled in for the full-back roles, with the latter coming in place of the injured Nuno Mendes. Bruno Fernandes will occupy the No.10 role for Portugal behind key man and skipper Cristiano Ronaldo.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Costa; Semedo, Dias, Veiga, Dalot; Vitinha, Neves; Silva, Fernandes, Leao; Ronaldo
The formidable attacker is keen to reach new heights, and the first step towards that would be to ensure his Portugal side qualifies for the World Cup finals. Ronaldo is in top form, having scored nine times in eight Saudi Pro League games. He will also want to extend his tremendous record for the national side.
A brace against Hungary made him the all-time top goalscorer in World Cup qualifying, and he has two more games to extend that number. However, records might be the last thing on Ronaldo’s mind, given World Cup glory is all that matters, and he will want to stay in top form ahead of Portugal’s penultimate qualifier against Ireland, as well as break his duck in the country at the fourth time of asking.
Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side will enter this match under severe pressure, either to win or at least match Hungary’s result elsewhere to stay in with a big hope of qualifying. However, if one has to isolate this encounter against Portugal, the hosts are the underdogs, especially given their struggles in front of goal.
Portugal are not about to let loose on Ireland and allow them to break open their defence. Given the options at Roberto Martinez’s disposal, the Spanish tactician has all the tools to break down this Ireland side step by step. While this game promises a promising hour or so, Portugal have the ammunition to exploit this Ireland side in the last quarter and secure a comfortable win in the process.
