Belgium v France will kick-off at 19:45 tonight, Thursday 7th October in the Allianz Arena in Torino, Italy. German referee Daniel Siebert will take charge of the game.

The match will be shown live on Virgin Media Two and Virgin TV Go.

Belgium once again finds themselves ranked number one in the world but with no silverware to prove it. They have shown their quality, winning eight of their last nine games only losing to Italy in the Euro 2020 quarterfinal.

Most of their team has reached and past their peak but they will want youngster Jeremy Doku to provide flair and energy on the week tonight.

This looks like one of the greatest France squads that the country has produced but their mentality looks shaken. After five straight draws in 90 minutes, they finally beat Finland 2-0 in their last World Cup qualifier.

The French players’ ego will still be bruised since losing to Switzerland in Euro 2020 and they will need a victory to boost them.

For two neighbors that share languages, they do not face each other very often competitively. Since 2011, they have played four times, ending twice in draws and each team claiming a victory.

The last crossed blades in the 2018 World Cup semi-final which the French won 1-0 on their way to winning the competition.

When Roberto Martinez took over Belgium in 2016, the team would stay in an airport hotel and borrow training facilities.

Today, he shows @goal the new centre he helped to make a reality pic.twitter.com/WOMfZl42d9

— Goal (@goal) October 7, 2021

Belgium v France Probable Starting Teams

Belgium

Formation

3-4-3

Probable Starting 11

Courtois (GK), Vertonghen, Denayer, Alderweireld, Hazard, Tielemans, Witsel, Castagne, Doku, Lukaku, De Bruyne.

Injuries / Suspensions

Meunier (Knee injury)

France

Formation

4-3-1-2

Probable Starting 11

Lloris (GK), Hernández, Kimpembe, Varane, Pavard, Pogba, Tchouméni, Rabiot, Griezmann, Benzema, Mbappé.

Injuries / Suspensions

Martial (Knock)

"Kylian is happy to be here. We cannot go back in time."

Didier Deschamps insists no problems with Kylian Mbappe despite the player claiming he needed more support from his teammates after missing a crucial penalty that led to France getting knocked out of the Euros pic.twitter.com/HsyIGQfnDH

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 7, 2021

Betting

Belgium 15/8

Draw 2/1

France 6/4

Score Prediction

Both teams are made up of sturdy defenses and world-class attacks. The opposing managers will be trying to cancel each other out but from a neutrals perspective, let’s hope that it is full of goals.

Expect this game to end 3-2 to France.

Remember that Benzema is a pure genius. pic.twitter.com/YEMQnvulCD

— Real Madrid Videos (@RMAVideos) October 5, 2021

To read more in-depth and up-to-date club and international football news, click here.

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Italy v Spain kicks off at 19:45 tonight, Wednesday, 6th October in the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan, Italy. Russian referee Sergei Karasev will take charge of the game.

To watch the match, it will be shown live on Virgin Media Two and Virgin TV Go.

Roberto Mancini’s Italy has become the team to beat in Europe. With 25 unbeaten matches at home, they are a force to be reckoned with. Although, their form in the last international break was not as stellar as usual after drawing with Switzerland and Bulgaria before beating Lithuania.

The national team is still striving to make their team better even by the smallest margins. For this match, Puma has designed a jersey for the Azzuri that only weighs 72 grams. Maybe these tiny details could make the difference.

Spain has had an up-and-down summer. Their very young team surprised many by reaching the Euro 2020 semi-finals after not looking too convincing in the early stages of the competition.

Now, Luis Enrique and his team will want to build. Last month they won two of their three matches, beating off Kosovo and Georgia but falling to Sweden.

This has been a very even affair in recent years. In their last ten meetings, there have been five draws, while Spain was victorious on three occasions, most recently in 2017. Their most recent match was the Euro 2020 semifinal which Italy claimed the win in a penalty shootout.

Italy Ultraweave

In tonight's game vs Spain, Italy will wear a new version of their home shirt featuring 'Ultraweave' technology.

The shirt features less panels and less seams which means it weighs in at just 72 grams. It's Puma's lightest ever football shirt. pic.twitter.com/KYKUC4KiFz

— Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) October 6, 2021

Italy v Spain Probable Starting Teams

Italy

Formation

4-3-3

Probable Starting 11

Donnarumma (GK), Emerson, Chiellini, Bonucci, Di Lorenzo, Veratti, Jorginho, Insigne, Kean, Chiesa.

Injuries / Suspensions

Pessina (Hamstring injury), Immobile (Muscle injury)

Spain

Formation

4-3-3

Probable Starting 11

Simon (GK), Reguilon, Garcia, Laporte, Azpilicueta, Merino, Busquets, Koke, Oyarzabal, Torres, Sarabia.

Injuries / Suspensions

None

"We will try to manage the game better."

Spain boss Luis Enrique previews their UEFA Nations League semi-final against Italy. pic.twitter.com/ZgzTE37QLN

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 6, 2021

Betting

Italy 6/5

Draw 19/10

Spain 13/5

Score Prediction

It would be next to impossible to bet against the European Champions when they are at home. With the unbelievable record of going 37 matches and counting unbeaten, it seems that they are unstoppable and this inexperienced Spain team will not change that.

Expect this game to end 2-0 to the Italians, setting themselves up for another final this year.

OFFICIAL: Ciro Immobile has sustained a muscle injury and his recovery time will be assessed in the coming days.

… Moise Kean to replace him in Italy.#JFC | #ITA pic.twitter.com/mIfaCecoHV

— Max Statman (@emaxstatman) October 2, 2021

To read more in-depth and up-to-date international and club football news, click here.

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DARREN RANDOLPH – 6

Randolph marked the 50^th appearance of his Ireland career tonight with a clean sheet. That could have been a very different story. He very nearly gave the ball away to Bulgarian striker Kraev as he slipped up while trying to play out from the back. Thankfully, though, he had the composure to get the ball away to safety.

DARA O’SHEA – 7

Dara O’Shea started at right back tonight having previously played left back and centre back for Ireland in his short international career so far. He looked comfortable going forward and at the back aside from one occasion when he played a Bulgarian player on which nearly led to a chance.

SHANE DUFFY – 6

Stuck to his task well as he denied Bulgaria a goal. Done just enough to stop Bulgaria scoring from a corner as his pressure put off his opposite number. He did, however, make one pass which was intercepted and could have easily led to a Bulgaria goal.

KEVIN LONG – 6

Looked comfortable at the back without being too noticeable. Received an early yellow but that didn’t affect his performance. The Burnley man was dominant in his 50/50s.

RYAN MANNING – 5

Manning made his long-awaited international debut tonight at left back. The 24-year-old looked fairly comfortable defensively on the night. He would have liked to have had more influence going forward, though. Subbed off for Cyrus Christie in the 85^th minute.

JASON KNIGHT – 6

It was a first international start for Jason Knight, having previously came on as a sub against Finland and Wales. The Derby midfielder was typically combative in midfield. He created Ireland’s best chance of the game as his driving run in midfield set up Ronan Curtis who shot over the bar. He did give the ball away on one occasion which could have been dangerous, but he got back quick enough to help out defensively.

CONOR HOURIHANE – 5

Put one good ball into the box towards the end of the match which just evaded the onrushing Jason Knight. Otherwise, didn’t have much influence on the game.

ROBBIE BRADY – 6

Normally very composed and reliable on the ball, Brady was sloppy in possession at times tonight. He looked to play progressive passes, but it didn’t come off for him like it has done in the past. He did come very close to opening the scoring, though. He struck from range after making space for himself only to be denied by the post. Replaced by Jack Byrne due to injury in the 77^th minute.

DARYL HORGAN – 6

Daryl Horgan made his 3^rd consecutive start for Ireland tonight. Made a few good runs down the right as he looked to beat Cicinho on a handful of occasions. Put one good cross onto the head of James Collins who struck over the bar. Subbed off for Josh Cullen in the 67^th minute.

RONAN CURTIS – 6

Missed Ireland’s best chance of the match as he was played into space by Jason Knight. Otherwise, though, displayed high energy in the final third at times which nearly resulted in a goal as his cross was nearly deflected into the path of James Collins. Subbed off for Troy Parrott in the 85^th minute.

JAMES COLLINS – 6

Earned a handful of fouls and got into good positions but the Luton striker wasn’t rewarded with a goal. He came closest when he connected with a Dara O’Shea cross, but his effort went just wide of the post. Subbed off for Sean Maguire in the 85^th minute.

SUBSTITUTIONS

JOSH CULLEN – 6

Recycled and carried the ball well when he came on.

JACK BYRNE – N/A

Showed good intensity after coming on and showed for the ball but failed to create any chances. Played one good ball into the box after nice link up play with Jason Knight but Sean Maguire failed to hit the net.

TROY PARROTT – N/A

Showed some nice touches after coming on and was slipped in towards goal but unfortunately, he was offside.

SEAN MAGUIRE – N/A

The Preston man had one opportunity after coming on as a result of a Jack Byrne cross but didn’t hit the target.

CYRUS CHRISTIE – N/A

Christie made a couple of good runs after coming on down the right hand side, none of which led to any opportunities.

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Aaron McEneff, Graham Burke, Jack Taylor and Troy Parrott have all been called up to the Ireland squad ahead of their fixture against Bulgaria. Parrott and Burke will be familiar with the Ireland setup, having been included in previous squads. McEneff and Taylor, however, receive their first call up to a senior Ireland squad.

Taylor and Parrott were included in the u21 squad who suffered defeat to Iceland on Tuesday where both players performed well without rewards. The inclusion of Shamrock Rovers’ pair Burke and McEneff comes off the back of a stellar season for both players in the domestic league. Three Rovers players are now involved in the senior squad as Burke and McEneff link up with Jack Byrne.

The call-ups come after another international break riddled with injuries and suspensions within the Ireland camp. No less than 13 players included in the original squad have been ruled out for various reasons.

Matt Doherty and James McClean were the latest to be ruled out due to testing positive for Covid-19. An injury to Adam Idah which was confirmed today also rules the young striker out.

Ireland take on Bulgaria on Wednesday in a crucial relegation deciding match. An Ireland loss would mean relegation to League C in the Nations League. Stephen Kenny needs a win in what has been a stressful start as Ireland manager.

Ireland squad against Bulgaria:

Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph (West Ham United), Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth)

Defenders: Kevin Long (Burnley), Shane Duffy (Celtic, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion), Cyrus Christie (Nottingham Forest, on loan from Fulham), Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United), Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers), Ryan Manning (Swansea City).

Midfielders: Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), Robbie Brady (Burnley), Jack Byrne (Shamrock Rovers), Jason Knight (Derby County), Josh Cullen (Anderlecht), Aaron McEneff (Shamrock Rovers), Jack Taylor (Peterborough United).

Attackers: Graham Burke (Shamrock Rovers, on loan from Preston North End), James Collins (Luton Town), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth), Callum O’Dowda (Bristol City), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers), Sean Maguire (Preston North End), Troy Parrott (Millwall, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur).

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The FAI have confirmed that Matt Doherty and James McClean have tested positive for Covid-19. This comes just one day after they started against Wales. “The rest and the staff and squad tested negative ahead of the flight back to Dublin this morning”, the FAI announced earlier today.

The exclusion of Doherty and McClean only adds to the growing list of Ireland absentees. There’s now an unprecedented number of players unavailable for Wednesday’s fixture and relegation decider against Bulgaria.

Jeff Hendrick and Jayson Molumby are suspended for the match as a result of their bookings on Tuesday. Alan Browne and Callum Robinson previously tested positive for Covid-19, meaning they’ll miss out. Injuries have also ruled a handful of players out including; Enda Stevens, Aaron Connolly, Séamus Coleman, John Egan, Adam Idah and Harry Arter. James McCarthy also withdrew from the squad due to personal issues.

Stephen Kenny will now have to work with an even more depleted squad as he looks to gather his first win as Ireland boss.

Ireland squad against Bulgaria:

Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph (West Ham United), Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth)

Defenders: Kevin Long (Burnley), Shane Duffy (Celtic, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion), Cyrus Christie (Nottingham Forest, on loan from Fulham), Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United), Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers), Ryan Manning (Swansea City).

Midfielders: Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), Robbie Brady (Burnley), Jack Byrne (Shamrock Rovers), Jason Knight (Derby County), Josh Cullen (Anderlecht), Aaron McEneff (Shamrock Rovers), Jack Taylor (Peterborough United).

Attackers: Graham Burke (Shamrock Rovers, on loan from Preston North End), James Collins (Luton Town), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth), Callum O’Dowda (Bristol City), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers), Sean Maguire (Preston North End), Troy Parrott (Millwall, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur).

The post Matt Doherty and James McClean test positive for Covid-19 appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

DARREN RANDOLPH – 6

The Bray man’s distribution was less than impressive at times, but otherwise he did the basics well and made a good save towards the end of the game to deny David Brooks his second. He also made a save against Kieffer Moore which should have been a goal. There wasn’t much he could have done for the Welsh goal.

MATT DOHERTY – 6

Doherty started at right back today after starting on the other side against England. He was arguably Ireland’s best player in that match, but he failed to have the same effect this evening. That said, he didn’t play badly and kept possession well.

SHANE DUFFY – 6

Dominant in the air as usual and comfortable at the back. He had a couple of opportunities in the opposition box but none of which were clear cut.

KEVIN LONG – 6

Long came in to take the place of the injured John Egan for this evening’s game. He took his chance well as he looked solid at the back. The Burnley man made a particularly impressive tackle on Dan James after a marauding run to stop a Welsh attack.

DARA O’SHEA – 6

Dara O’Shea’s cameo against England was enough to land him a starting role this evening. He had the unenviable role of guarding Gareth Bale but stuck to his job well as he kept the Welshman quiet. He gave away possession on occasion but that didn’t lead to any key chances. Subbed off for Callum O’Dowda in the 80^th minute.

JAYSON MOLUMBY – 5

Provided good energy in midfield but failed to impact the game as much as he would have liked. He received a yellow card in the first half which means he will miss the next game against Bulgaria. Subbed off in the 74^th minute for Conor Hourihane.

JEFF HENDRICK – 4

Hendrick has operated deeper than he normally does in the last two fixtures. So far, the midfielder has provided a useful option when playing out from the back in particular. He did, however, lose possession twice towards the end of the second half which nearly resulted in Welsh goals. He was also sent off after receiving a second yellow card in the dying embers of the game. He now misses the next match against Bulgaria.

ROBBIE BRADY – 7

Had Ireland’s first chance of the game in the 17^th minute as the ball fell to him from just outside the box. Unfortunately, though, he shot just over. He also played a brilliant lofted ball through to James McClean in the 30^th minute which resulted in a shot on goal. Undoubtedly Ireland’s best player in the first half, he didn’t play as well in the second but still looked comfortable in possession. Subbed off for Jack Byrne in the 80^th minute.

DARYL HORGAN – 5

Horgan’s pace and directness caused problems for England on occasion the other night, but he didn’t have the same type of impact tonight. He did provide one good cross which led to a Robbie Brady chance but otherwise he wasn’t involved too much. Came off in the 58^th minute for Jason Knight.

JAMES MCCLEAN – 6

McClean had one half chance after a brilliant off the ball run which caught the attention of Robbie Brady. Otherwise, he was tidy in possession and hard working when on the receiving end.

ADAM IDAH – 6

Showed a couple of nice touches and held the ball up well but failed to trouble the keeper. He had one good opportunity after some good work by Robbie Brady but was stopped in his tracks by Joe Rodon. Subbed off in the 74^th minute for James Collins.

SUBSTITUTIONS

JASON KNIGHT – 5

Failed to get involved that much after coming on. Received a yellow card near the end of the match.

JAMES COLLINS – 6

Collins had an opportunity immediately after coming on but it was easy for the keeper to gather. He had two other opportunities afterwards but both were easily saved by the keeper.

CONOR HOURIHANE – 5

Hourihane whipped in one good corner after coming on but failed to get involved otherwise.

JACK BYRNE – N/A (WASN’T ON THE PITCH LONG ENOUGH)

Certain sections of the Irish support have been crying out for a Jack Byrne appearance since Stephen Kenny took over. They got their wish today as the Shamrock Rovers midfielder came on near the end of the game. He didn’t have much time to have an impact but he was very tidy in possession after coming on.

CALLUM O’DOWDA – N/A (WASN’T ON THE PITCH LONG ENOUGH)

The Bristol City man made one good run after coming on but failed to get involved otherwise.

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In League B’s Group 4, Ireland suffered a 1-0 defeat against Finland in what was another disappointing result for the boys in green. The only goal of the match came through Fredrik Jensen, a man Ireland fans will be familiar with having also scored the winner in the Aviva. The goal was a result of an uncustomary mistake from Darren Randolph, who carelessly gave the ball away which resulted in simple finish. The loss means Ireland remain in 3^rd, but are looming dangerously close to an automatic relegation spot.

Frustrating result in Helsinki

FT | Finland 1-0 Ireland

Jensen’s goal the difference as Ronan Curtis’ header denied in the final minutes #COYBIG | #FINIRL pic.twitter.com/7nnkxtXevC

— FAIreland (@FAIreland) October 14, 2020

Elsewhere in the group, Wales’ late winner against Bulgaria mean they remain on top of the table by 1 point.

In League A, Poland trounced Bosnia with a 3-0 win in Group 1. Bosnia did themselves no favours after getting a man sent off just 14 minutes into the game. Polish talisman Robert Lewandowski exploited Bosnian misfortune by netting a brace. This result means that Poland jump above Italy and Netherlands after they played out a 1-1 draw elsewhere in the group.

Group 2 seen Denmark defeat England in what was a disastrous performance from Harry Maguire. Maguire picked up his second yellow in the 31^st minute which led to Christian Eriksen converting from the spot. His performance will only have further compounded his misery after a turbulent few weeks. England now drop to 3^rd, having been in 1^st before yesterday’s fixtures.

Belgium also defeated Iceland 2-1 with Romelu Lukaku impressing as he scored 2 goals. Belgium have now leapfrogged England to claim 1^st position in the group.

Group 3 standings remained the same as France defeated Croatia and a Diego Jota inspired Portugal comfortably dispatched of Sweden. The newly signed Liverpool man claimed an assist and two goals in what was a man of the match performance, showing that he could do the business in Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence.

There were no group 4 matches played yesterday. Spain remain top of the group on 7 points despite a shock loss to Ukraine on Tuesday. Germany and the aforementioned Ukraine are just one point behind on 6 points.

Back to League B and Norway overcame Northern Ireland by way of a Stuart Dallas own goal in Group 1. Erling Braut Haaland failed to find his form against the North after netting his first international hat trick against Romania on Sunday. He will however be happy with Norway’s league position as they remain 2^nd, only level on points with Austria.

On the topic of Austria, they managed to overcome Romania in a match which ended 1-0.

Scotland retained their 100% unbeaten record in Group 2 with a win against Czech Republic, despite being dominated for much of the game. Ryan Fraser scored the only goal of the game after some great work by Lyndon Dykes to ensure the win.

Israel and Slovakia played out a memorable game in the same group, with a late Eran Zahavi goal awarding Israel a 3-2 scoreline. Zahavi will be taking home the match ball after scoring 2 goals prior to his winner in what was a man of the match performance. He will be hoping to make his mark on the Dutch league having recently signed for PSV Eindhoven.

Hat-trick for Zahavi tonight! #NationsLeague https://t.co/QCYBMX5MVM

— UEFA Nations League (@EURO2020) October 14, 2020

There were two draws in group 3 as Russia played out a stalemate with Hungary and Turkey drew 2-2 with Serbia. The results mean that Russia remain on top with 8 points, having not lost so far in the group.

Onto League C and there were no matches played in Group 1 yesterday. Luxembourg and Montenegro are currently battling for promotion to League B as both teams are stuck on 9 points.

Group 2 seen two 1-1 draws with Estonia playing Armenia and North Macedonia facing Georgia. North Macedonia and Georgia are level on top with 6 points while Armenia lurk just behind on 5 points.

Perhaps the best team in League C, Slovenia stayed atop of Group 3 as they slotted 4 past Moldova while maintaining a clean sheet. Haris Vuckic bagged a hat trick as he finished two opportunities from the spot.

Elsewhere in the group, Greece and Kosovo played out a scoreless draw despite Greece controlling a large majority of the game. Arijanet Muric didn’t make it easy for Greece as he produced a man of the match performance in the net for Kosovo. Greece are just 2 points off top while Kosovo and Moldova are embroiled in a relegation battle.

Group 4 seen Belarus defeat Kazakhstan while Lithuania managed a scoreless draw against Albania. Albania are underachieving in the group so far, sitting in 3^rd while Belarus remain on top and Lithuania remain in 2^nd.

All of League D’s matches were played on Tuesday so there was no fixtures yesterday.

Faroe Islands sit comfortably on top of Group 1 with Malta in 2^nd, Latvia in 3^rd and Andorra sitting at the bottom of the table.

Gibraltar have a 100% winning record in Group 2 and remain on top while Liechtenstein are two points behind in 2^nd. Minnows San Marino are stuck at the bottom of the table, but they will be happy as they managed to gather their first ever Nations League point with a draw against Liechtenstein on Tuesday.

Best Performers:  Eran Zahavi, Robert Lewandowski, Diego Jota, Haris Vuckic, Arijanet Muric

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It’s not been an easy ride for Stephen Kenny so far. Still to manage a win, Kenny’s Ireland record as it stands includes three draws and one loss. Injuries, suspensions and other factors haven’t done any favours for the Ireland manager in what has been a substandard start to his managerial reign. He has shown signs of promise, with impressive performances – despite the results – against both Slovakia and Wales.

Kenny will be hoping he can turn those performances into results by ending his winless run with a win against Finland in Helsinki today. However, it will be no easy challenge as Kenny’s side suffered a 1-0 loss against Finland in what was his first game in charge. Finland also won their previous Nations League match against Bulgaria so their camp will be full of confidence going into today’s game.

Finland find themselves in 2^nd on six points while Ireland are 3^rd with just two points to their name. Promotion from league B to league A looks unlikely at this stage for the Republic of Ireland, but good results in their final three group games would mean not getting dragged into a relegation battle. Finland are still very much in the promotion picture. A win against the Finns could be the catalyst Ireland need to finish off the Nations League campaign early.

Tomorrow | #COYBIG | #FINIRL pic.twitter.com/UbXLNiS9v4

— FAIreland (@FAIreland) OCTOBER 13, 2020 

Both teams play a similar style of football, pressing high up the pitch and playing high tempo passing football so it should be an entertaining watch, for the neutral at least.

Here is all the information you need to know about today’s fixture:

Team News

Ireland

Ireland are going into this match with an entirely different squad than what was announced initially. Between injuries and illness, Ireland can count themselves unlucky to be in the position they currently find themselves in. Several key players are missing from the squad – including Seamus Coleman, David McGoldrick and John Egan. Kenny was however handed a significant boost earlier this week as Adam Idah and Aaron Connolly were both passed fit to play, having been previously unavailable due to coronavirus concerns.

Ireland may need to rely on some of their young talent, something which Kenny’s predecessors have often failed to do. The average age of the Ireland squad available for selection is 25.5 years. This is much younger than it has been in the past. Irish fans will be hoping youth trumps experience as just four players in the squad have upwards of twenty caps.

Suspensions: James McClean

Injuries: James McCarthy + another unnamed player (covid-19)

Predicted line-up:

Finland

Finland, unlike Ireland, should have a full squad available. There are no significant injuries or suspensions within the Finland camp, meaning they’ll be at full strength come this evening.

Daniel O’Shaughnessy will be hoping to start against his ancestral homeland for the second time, having previously played Ireland earlier in the Nations League campaign. His father hails from Galway given his Irish sounding name but he’s a proud Finn, having represented his country from u15 level onwards. Another player Ireland will have to keep an eye on is Teemu Pukki, who will likely start up top for Finland.

Suspensions: None

Injuries: None

Predicated line-up:

Finland vs. Ireland Prediction

Like the first encounter between the two nations, this will likely be a hard-fought affair. Finland will probably fancy their chances given the outcome of the previous game but Ireland will be no pushovers, they’ll be desperate to turn their fortunes around after a miserable campaign so far.

Finland are in better form than Ireland having won four of their last six competitive game – including a 1-0 victory over the aforementioned opponents – but Kenny appears to be finding his feet with performances improving game by game. There have been considerable improvements made since the first meeting between the two sides and Irish fans will be hoping for a much better performance than last time.

Our prediction for the game is:

Ireland 1 – 0 Finland

For those looking for further information:

Where is the match being played?

The match is being played in Finland’s home ground, the Helsinki Olympic stadium. This will be the Republic of Ireland’s third time visiting the stadium, having previously played there in 1949 and 2002.

When is the match being played?

It is being played on the 14^th of October. The match will kick off at 5 p.m. Irish standard time.

Is it being televised?

Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Football will have coverage of the event. The match will not be free to air on Irish television. Virgin Media Two will have highlights of the match at 10 p.m. with full coverage of the match to follow at 11 p.m.

Viewers in the United States can also catch the game on ESPN+.

Where can the match be streamed?

Viewers can also stream the match through NOW TV’s Sky Sports Pass. The service can be purchased for one day for €11 or customers can purchase a month pass for €37.

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Following Sunday’s meeting with Wales, Stephen Kenny announced he would be calling up additional players for Wednesday’s fixture. “I do, yeah I do… we’ll be addressing that in the next couple of hours” said the Ireland manager after being asked if he would have to make additional call ups. The players that received the call have now been revealed as Dara O’Shea, Jason Knight, Adam Idah, Ryan Manning, Ronan Curtis.

Five players called up for the Finland match

Dara O’Shea | @WBA
Jason Knight | @dcfcofficial
Adam Idah | @NorwichCityFC
Ryan Manning | @QPR
Ronan Curtis | @Pompey

Idah rejoins squad after receiving clearance from the HSE

https://t.co/SeiauxiVvB#COYBIG pic.twitter.com/GVYLCKsLAy

— FAIreland (@FAIreland) OCTOBER 11, 2020

It is Jason Knight’s first call up to the senior squad. The Derby midfielder had previously been selected for the u21s. He will be hoping to get his first cap as well as Ryan Manning and Dara O’Shea, whose form last season will have caught the attention of Stephen Kenny.

Adam Idah had previously been included in the squad before being removed due to close contact with a member of staff who tested positive for covid-19. He has been recalled to the squad following clearance from the HSE. A much needed boost for Stephen Kenny.

The call ups come as a result of 10 players becoming unavailable for selection. The circumstances surrounding the absentees come as a consequence of injury and covid-19 precautions, following positive cases within the camp.

Despite a depleted match day squad, Kenny’s men came out of Dublin with a respectable draw against a Bale-less, but strong Welsh side. Kenny will be hoping he can notch up the first win of his managerial reign against Finland, something he failed to do in their previous encounter. The match takes place at 5 o’clock on Wednesday evening and will be played at the Bolt Arena in Helsinki. Unfortunately for viewers in Ireland, the match will not be shown free to air on Irish television. The match will however be shown live on Sky Sports.

This is the Ireland squad as it stands:

Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph (West Ham United), Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (Bournemouth).
Defenders: Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), Shane Duffy (Celtic, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), Kevin Long (Burnley), Cyrus Christie (Nottingham Forest, on loan from Fulham), Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion).
Midfielders: Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), James McCarthy (Crystal Palace), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United), Jayson Molumby (Brighton & Hove Albion), Jack Byrne (Shamrock Rovers), Robbie Brady (Burnley), Josh Cullen (Anderlecht), Jason Knight (Derby County), Ryan Manning (Queens Park Rangers).
Forwards: James McClean (Stoke City), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers), David McGoldrick (Sheffield United), Sean Maguire (Preston North End), Shane Long (Southampton), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth)

The post Players called up to Ireland squad for Finland encounter appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Brighton striker Aaron Connolly has rejoined the Irish squad ahead of their Nations League game against Finland on Wednesday.

The 20 year old along with Adam Idah was left out of the squad for the play off against Slovakia due to Covid 19 protocols. The two players were deemed to be close contacts of a non playing member of staff who tested positive in Bratislava.

The case was subsequently found to be a false positive so after consultation with the HSE, Connolly has been granted permission to rejoin the squad as they search for Stephen Kenny’s first win in charge of the senior men’s team.

Idah had already rejoined the squad in the wake of the 0-0 stalemate with Wales on Sunday, while Dara O’ Shea, Jason Knight, Ryan Manning and Ronan Curtis have also been added to the squad for the game in Helsinki on Wednesday.

Updated Rep of Ireland squad vs Finland

Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph (West Ham United), Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (Bournemouth).

Defenders: Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), Shane Duffy (Celtic, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), Kevin Long (Burnley), Cyrus Christie (Nottingham Forest, on loan from Fulham), Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion).

Midfielders: Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), James McCarthy (Crystal Palace), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United), Jayson Molumby (Brighton & Hove Albion), Jack Byrne (Shamrock Rovers), Robbie Brady (Burnley), Josh Cullen (Anderlecht), Jason Knight (Derby County), Ryan Manning (Queens Park Rangers).

Forwards: James McClean (Stoke City), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers), Sean Maguire (Preston North End), Shane Long (Southampton), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth), Aaron Connolly (Brighton and Hove Albion).

The post Aaron Connolly rejoins Ireland squad appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.