Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Ireland’s Euro 2025 play-off first leg against Georgia.
Eileen Gleeson’s side are in Tbilisi this evening before hosting Georgia in Tallaght next Tuesday as they look to reach their first-ever European Championships and second major tournament.
To do that, they’ll need to come through these back-to-back games against Georgia and another play-off against Wales or Slovakia in late November/early December.
Kick-off at the Mikheil Meskhi II Stadium is at 5pm.
The team news is in. Grace Moloney starts in goal, with Courtney Brosnan suspended for this game due to a culmination of yellow cards.
Caitlin Hayes, Anna Patten and Aoife Mannion are the three centre-halves with Katie McCabe – on her 90th cap – and Abbie Larkin the wing-backs, or effectively wingers, given how front-footed Ireland are expected to line out.
Denise O’Sullivan, Tyler Toland and Lily Agg are the midfielders selected by Gleeson; Blackburn Rovers captain Toland in the six with O’Sullivan and Agg ahead of her, while Julie-Ann Russell and Kyra Carusa are the two up top.
It’s understood Diane Caldwell isn’t togging out due to a back problem, so Ireland will be one substitute short.
STARTING XI | Georgia v Ireland
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) October 25, 2024
Our eleven to start in Tbilisi ☘️#COYGIG pic.twitter.com/QPVRzz3baI
You can also find Emma Duffy’s match preview here.
Anything other than two wins here is inconceivable. Ireland hammered the Eastern European nation 20-0 on aggregate in their 2023 World Cup qualifying group, while there are 94 places between the sides (24th and 118th) in the Fifa World Rankings.
The Girls In Green are without several players through injury, including Louise Quinn, Megan Connolly and Ruesha Littlejohn, while first-choice goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan is suspended, but these absentees should be of little concern.
KICK-OFF
2mins: Georgia 0 Ireland 0
Within 30 seconds Katie McCabe sends a ball into the box but it comes to nothing. Ireland come again and Denise O’Sullivan, winning her 116th cap, fires a shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box. A promising start by the visitors.
4mins: Georgia 0 Ireland 0
Another effort flies wide, Abbie Larkin snapping a shot the wrong side of the post from an Ireland corner.
16mins: Georgia 0 Ireland 0
A rare attack for Georgia with a series of throw-ins down near the left corner, but Ireland deal with them easily enough.
Georgia then win a free in a decent position, Lily Agg penalised, but the ball flies straight into the hands of Grace Maloney. The home side look fairly limited so far.
19mins: Georgia 0 Ireland 0
Georgia win a corner and send a low ball towards the near post, but Aoife Mannion clears the danger.
21mins: Georgia 0 Ireland 0
CHANCE! Abbie Larkin with the knock-down in the box and O’Sullivan is first on to it. She catches it well but it’s right at the goalkeeper.
29mins: Georgia 0 Ireland 0
Julie Ann-Russell sees a header saved and from the resulting corner, Ireland can’t force an effort on target.
33mins: Georgia 0 Ireland 0
CHANCE! Nice link-up play between Russell and McCabe sees the Ireland captain send a good ball into the box, Larkin manages to get to a boot to it but flicks the ball wide.
PENALTY!
Abbie Larkin attempts a cross and the ball makes contact with the arm of a Georgia defender. Penalty Ireland, and Katie McCabe will take it.
Ireland finally have the lead, McCabe cooly slotting the ball to the keeper’s right.
🇬🇪 0-1 🇮🇪
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 25, 2024
Katie McCabe makes the breakthrough for Ireland from the penalty spot after a Georgian handball #COYGIG #GEOIRL
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43mins: Georgia 0 Ireland 1
McCabe sends a low corner into the box and Anna Patten gets a header on target, but it’s easily saved.
HALF-TIME: Georgia o Ireland 1
Ireland lead at half-time thanks to Katie McCabe’s 37th-minute penalty. Gleeson’s team creating plenty of chances but will aim to be more clinical in the second half.
We’ll be back with all the second-half action shortly.
50mins: Georgia 0 Ireland 1
Not much happening since the restart. Ireland still enjoying the bulk of the possession but just struggling to find that cutting edge in the final third.
52mins: Georgia 0 Ireland 1
CHANCE! McCabe whips a ball into the box from a free-kick and Carusa manages to steer it toward goal, but it pops over the goalkeeper and over, via the crossbar.
57mins: Georgia 0 Ireland 1
Change for Ireland, Lily Agg goes off and is replaced by Marissa Sheva.
GOAL! Georgia 0 Ireland 2 (Carusa)
That’s a lovely goal, really well-worked by Ireland. Denise O’Sullivan slides a pass into the path of Abbie Larkin – who has been excellent tonight – and the Crystal Palace player drives a low ball into the box, where Kyra Carusa beats the keeper with a smart flick at the near post.
Elsewhere, Slovakia have beaten Wales 2-1 in their first-leg tie. The winners of that play-off will lie in wait for Ireland, should Eileen Gleeson’s team get past Georgia over the two legs.
🇬🇪 0-2 🇮🇪
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 25, 2024
Ireland have doubled their lead with Kyra Carusa turning the ball home at the near post #COYGIG #GEOIRL
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GOAL! Georgia 0 Ireland 3 (McCabe)
What a goal from Katie McCabe!
She has the ball just inside her own half, looks up, and pings one over the Georgia goalkeeper, making it all look so easy. A stunning strike to put Ireland 3-0 up.
🇬🇪 0-3 🇮🇪
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 25, 2024
Ireland have a third goal and Katie McCabe has her second with a shot from miles out floating over the Georgia goalkeeper #COYGIG #GEOIRL
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75mins: Georgia o Ireland 3
Double-change for Ireland: Leanne Kiernan and Jessie Stapleton on, with goal-scorer Kyra Carusa and Tyler Toland the two to make way.
GOAL! Georgia 0 Ireland 4 (Stapleton)
Not sure what was going on there, but that VAR check took an age. After about a five minute wait, the goal stands, and Jessie Stapleton has her first senior goal for Ireland!
McCabe provided another good delivery from a corner, and it bounced in the box before Stapleton got a touch to turn it in.
🇬🇪 0-4 🇮🇪
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 25, 2024
Jessie Stapleton has the ball in the back of the Georgian net for her first international goal, confirmed a long, long VAR check #COYGIG #GEOIRL
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93mins: Georgia 0 Ireland 4
There’s 10 minutes off added time after that lengthy VAR delay. Isibeal Atkinson is on for Ireland, with Julie Russell subbed off.
GOAL! Georgia 0 Ireland 5 (Sheva)
What a way to round the game off! From the edge of the box, Sheva looks up and fires a beautiful effort into the top corner. She’s looked sharp since coming on and has capped a fine performance with a wonderful solo goal.
99mins: Georgia 0 Ireland 5
RTÉ name Abbie Larkin player of the match. No complaints here.
GOAL! Georgia 0 Ireland 6 (Mannion)
The last action of the game sees Ireland make it six! McCabe with another excellent delivery and Aoife Mannion, with space at the back post, heads home.
FULLTIME: Georgia 0 Ireland 6
A big win for Ireland, who really cut loose and asserted their dominance in the second half after a stodgy enough opening to the game.
Five different goalscorers for Ireland in Tbilisi, and they’re in a great position ahead of Tuesday’s return leg in Tallaght.
Thanks for joining our live coverage tonight, we’ll have a match report and reaction on The 42 shortly. Slán!
