Republic of Ireland v England: How to watch Nations League clash

England take on the Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Nations League this Saturday – here’s all you need to know ahead of the game.

A new era gets underway for the Three Lions on Saturday evening, with Gareth Southgate no longer in charge following his exit after the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.

In his place is Lee Carsley, with England’s Under-21s manager in temporary charge for the time being as the FA search for Southgate’s long-term successor. Should the 50-year-old impress during his stint as boss, it could be that he is even retained on a full-time basis.

With domestic action making way for international football this weekend, England take on Ireland in the Nations League at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, which has more edge to it than the dour friendlies that can take place at this time of year.

The Three Lions are now in the competition’s League B following their relegation in 2022, so improvements are needed to return to the top tier. Carsley isn’t the only manager in charge for the first time, though, with Heimir Hallgrimsson enjoying his maiden game as Ireland boss.

Republic of Ireland v England kick-off time & UK TV info

Ireland’s clash with England takes place on Saturday 7th September, with kick-off at the Aviva Stadium at 5pm BST.

In terms of where to watch the weekend action, the match is live on ITV1 and ITVX, as well as on STV and STV Player for those in Scotland. Coverage starts at 4pm, with kick-off in Dublin at 5pm.

Republic of Ireland v England team news

Carsley’s first England squad was an interesting one, with a number of uncapped players chosen, including Lille midfielder Angel Gomes, Nottingham Forest ace Morgan Gibbs-White and in-form Chelsea winger Noni Madueke. Incidentally, all three were part of the victorious U21 EURO-winning campaign in 2023 under Carsley, while Cole Palmer is another member of that team in the squad.

As far as the more established players are concerned, Phil Foden could miss out through illness, but Harry Maguire and Jack Grealish have been recalled following their Euro 2024 omissions.

For Ireland, Leicester City winger Kasey McAteer has received his first senior international call-up, while Seamus Coleman and Evan Ferguson are both involved. Jayson Molumby is back in for the first time since November 2023.

Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu is still missing with an Achilles problem, while Burnley midfielder Josh Cullen is likely to miss his first squad since 2020 because of injury.

How the Nations League works

Established in 2018, the Nations League contains four leagues (A-D), with countries ordered by their national coefficient ranking. There have been various changes to the format since then, though teams now battle to win promotion and avoid relegation.

Leagues A-C consist of four groups of four teams, with each country playing home and away. Meanwhile, the two groups that make up League D have three teams apiece in them.

A new knockout round has been introduced this year. The top two teams in each League A group face a two-legged quarter-final, with the winners making it into the final tournament, which will involve four teams as usual.

The teams that finish bottom in Leagues A and B will be relegated, while the two lowest-ranked teams in League C are relegated to League D. Group winners in Leagues B-D are promoted.

There is also a new promotion/relegation play-off system in place, with third-placed nations from leagues A-B playing teams that finish second in leagues B-C in a two-legged play-off. This will mean that teams have even more to play for, as their position determines where they might be in the next edition of the competition. The bottom-placed teams that aren’t automatically relegated from League C will also face a relegation play-off.

Performance also gives nations an opportunity to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, with four slots available for UEFA’s World Cup play-offs for those who fail to do so via the qualifying tournament.

Who’s in England’s group?

Joining England in Group B2 are the Republic of Ireland, Finland and Greece, with the Three Lions’ following game after Ireland coming at home to Finland next Tuesday (10th September).

Kick-off at Wembley for that game is at 7.45pm, with matches to come against Greece and Finland during October’s international break.

In November, the Greeks host England, before Carsley’s side’s final international match of the year ends with a home clash with Ireland.