UEFA EURO 2025 QUALIFYING PLAY-OFF ROUND 1 SECOND LEG
Republic of Ireland v Georgia, Tallaght Stadium, Tuesday 29 October, 7.30pm Irish time
TV
Watch live coverage on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Player from 7pm.
RADIO
Listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 Extra from 19:25.
ONLINE
Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News App.
WEATHER
Tuesday evening will be dry in Dublin with temperatures of around 10 degrees celsius.
TALLAGHT STADIUM SOLD OUT FOR DEAD RUBBER
The FAI’s announcement that Tallaght Stadium will be sold out for the visit of Georgia on Tuesday was perhaps unexpected, given that Ireland’s task is one that won’t require much in the way of vociferous backing.
The 6-0 scoreline first leg scoreline that was secured in Tblisi on Friday night means that job is done for Eileen Gleeson’s side, barring a collapse of almost unfathomable proportions against the team ranked 118th in the world.
Much of the squad had experience of hammering Georgia twice, 11-0 and 9-0, in 2023 World Cup qualifying to fall back on, so the relatively slow start on Friday will have caused some frustration.
Ireland peppered Georgia’s goal for 37 minutes before captain Katie McCabe slotted home a penalty and they had to wait until the hour mark for Kyra Carusa to add a second.
McCabe got her second and Jessie Stapleton found the net before injury-time goals from Marissa Sheva and Aoife Mannion made certain that Tuesday’s return is nothing more than a formality.
With a large crowd set to turn out on Tuesday night though, the experience of a big-match atmosphere is sure to serve Ireland well, ahead of the bigger task of facing Wales or Slovakia in round 2 of the play-offs.
Ffion Morgan’s late goal for Wales in the first leg gives them hopes of progression, with Slovakia now only holding a narrow 2-1 lead ahead of Tuesday’s return in Cardiff.
The winners of that tie will face off against Ireland in December with a place at the 2025 European Championships in Switzerland being the prize on offer at the end of the two-legged tie.
WHAT THEY SAID
Speaking to the media on Monday, McCabe guarded against any complacency that may have crept into the squad following Friday’s big win.
“I think from our point of view, we want to start the game tomorrow how we finished it which was a lot more controlled, patient, we connected our play a lot better in the second half, and had a bit more urgency about us, and were clinical as well in the second half,” said the versatile Arsenal star.
Her thoughts were echoed by Gleeson, although the head coach did suggest that she would use the rare opportunity of a dead rubber play-off to blood some of her more inexperienced players.
“With a strong start we’d be hoping to get some young players or less experienced players in to a nice environment where they can feel free to play then,” she said.
TEAM NEWS
As mentioned, Gleeson is likely to shuffle the pack on Friday, either ahead of kick-off or throughout the game.
That could be good news for the likes of Eva Mangan and new Sheffield United recruit Ellen Molloy, who have starred domestically for Cork City and Wexford respectively.
Regular goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan is eligible again after suspension and Gleeson may be happy to give the Everton stopper some game-time during this window.
Failing that, Gleeson may turn to Friday’s stand-in Grace Moloney again, or hand an international debut to Charlton Athletic’s Sophie Whitehouse.
Stapleton and Sheva could be rewarded with starts after scoring off the bench on Friday, while Izzy Atkinson and Leanne Kiernan are others who could hope to benefit from the occasion.
Diane Caldwell missed training on Monday due to a back issue that is still being assessed.
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Watch Republic of Ireland v Georgia in their UEFA Euro 2025 play-off second leg on Tuesday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 Extra from 19:25.