Ireland 0-2 Greece
Hello, and welcome to tonight’s liveblog.
Ireland are looking to recover from Saturday’s disappointing 2-0 loss to England.
By contrast, the Greeks are coming into this game after an impressive 3-0 victory over Finland.
The visitors will be most people’s favourites this evening, given that they beat the Boys in Green twice in the recent Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Kick-off is at 7.45pm.
Confirmation of tonight’s Ireland XI, which has three changes from the England defeat.
STARTING XI | Ireland v Greece
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) September 10, 2024
Andrew Omobamidele comes into the side as well as Jason Knight and Alan Browne for the crucial match against Greece at the Aviva Stadium tonight 👏
Kick-off is at 7.45pm, not long to go now 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/iSXWRSmDiQ
We’re underway…
5 mins – Not much to note so far.
Ireland appear to have adopted a 4-5-1 shape, with Brady and Omobamidele as full-backs.
Smallbone is seemingly playing as a 10 almost with Szmodics as the lone striker.
10 mins – Greece are seeing plenty of the ball with Ireland happy to sit back.
Neither side has created a significant chance yet.
11 mins – Chatzigiovanis’ corner finds Koulierakis, who gets in front of Omobamidele and heads just over the bar.
Greece have played most of the football so far with Ireland struggling to acquire any rhythm.
17 mins – It remains a very cagey contest.
But Ireland are coming into it more, with more of the game being played in the Greek half.
19 mins – Browne is in a good position but his cross is straight into the goalkeeper’s arms.
Both centre-backs were in the box — Ireland need to make more of those types of situations.
22 mins: Good interplay between Smallbone and Knight on the edge of the area.
The latter’s low cross finds Browne but his finish is deflected off the nearby defender and safely into the arms of Vlachodimos.
26 mins: Bakasetas produces a decent effort from a free kick about 30 yards out.
However, Kelleher gets down well to parry it away for a corner.
31 mins: Omobamidele has just been somewhat harshly booked for blocking the run of Tzolis.
Otherwise not much has happened in the last few minutes.
33 mins: Szmodics attempts to audaciously lob the goalkeeper from about 40 yards out after Jason Knight’s long punt falls to him.
It’s well off target in the end though.
Here’s one of the few chances Ireland have created thus far…
🇮🇪 0-0 🇬🇷: Ireland with the best passage of play in the game so far as a sweeping pass from Jayson Molumby gets them going, but Alan Browne couldn't find the finish.
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 10, 2024
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38 mins: Collins wins a header on the edge of the area but knocks over Bakasetas as he does so and is penalised.
Szmodics follow-up shot from the edge of the area drifted wide anyway.
42 mins: Ireland have the ball in the net but it’s ruled out for a marginal offside.
It’s a shame as it was a great piece of play.
O’Shea’s cross-field pass found Ogbene, whose spectacular strike found the corner of the net despite Vlachodimos getting a hand on it.
45 mins: Great interplay down the right between Ogbene and Smallbone.
Eventually, the ball was pulled back to Browne on the edge of the area, but the Sunderland star produced a disappointing finish, blazing over the bar.
Ireland are finishing the half strongly.
There will be three minutes of stoppage time.
HALF-TIME: IRELAND 0-0 GREECE
So that’s the first half over.
It’s been far from perfect, but Ireland will be encouraged after an improved showing from Saturday.
Perhaps partially as a result of the change in formation, Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men look much more solid, though the inferior opposition is clearly a factor too.
Chances for both sides have been few and far between, but Ireland came into it more as the half progressed and were unlucky to see a brilliant Ogbene effort ruled out as they finished the stronger of the two sides.
Here’s a look at the moment when Ireland briefly thought they had opened the scoring…
🇮🇪 0-0 🇬🇷: Chiedozie Ogbene has the ball in the net after a stunning strike, but the Irishman had strayed just offside and the goal won't count.
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 10, 2024
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The second half is underway…
IRELAND 0-1 GREECE (Ioannidis 50)
Out of nothing, Greece take the lead.
Bakasetas squares it to Ioannidis, who is afforded far too much space to plant a superb effort into the corner of the net with Kelleher well beaten.
56 mins: Ogbene puts in a decent cross but Knight can’t get enough power in his downward header to trouble the goalkeeper.
Better from Ireland, who have Evan Ferguson warming up.
58 mins: Tsimikas has been booked for a late challenge on Omobamidele.
It looked nasty on the replay and perhaps the Greece star was lucky to get away with only a yellow.
Here’s a look at the opening goal…
🇮🇪 0-1 🇬🇷: Greece take the lead against the run of play as Ioannidis is gifted far too much time and space on the edge of the Irish penalty area. Some finish though.
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 10, 2024
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63 mins: Ireland make their first change and it’s an attacking one.
Jayson Molumby is replaced by Evan Ferguson.
67 mins: Worrying moment for Ireland as Tzolis gets in behind the defence but shoots over from a difficult angle.
Greece then make a double change — Bouchalakis and Chatzigiovanis are replaced by Pelkas and Zafeiris.
As I type, Bakasetas curls a free kick just over from about 30 yards out.
74 mins: Double change for Ireland.
Jason Knight and Andre Omobamidele are replaced by Kasey McAteer and Matt Doherty.
77 mins: Greece are enjoying a good spell of possession at the moment.
It’s a long time since Ireland created a clear-cut chance.
82 mins: Better from Ireland. They have Greece pinned back.
But as I type, Smallbone overhits a pass that goes out of play for a goal kick.
84 mins: More changes for Ireland
Ogbene and Szmodics are replaced by Robinson and Idah.
The attendance has been announced as 37,204.
85 mins: Robinson nearly makes an immediate impact.
His shot from the edge of the area deflects wide for a corner.
IRELAND 0-2 GREECE (Tzolis 87 mins)
That’s almost certainly game over, unfortunately.
Greece counter. Tzolis gets away from Collins and fires an unstoppable shot into the corner of the net.
Will Smallbone is named player of the match.
Members of the crowd disagree and there is a smattering of boos when this is announced.
To be fair, not many Irish players have excelled.
Here’s that second goal…
🇮🇪 0-2 🇬🇷: That's game over for Ireland and it's far too easy for Greece as Tzolis chases down a simple ball over the top from Bakasetas before firing home.
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 10, 2024
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FULL-TIME: IRELAND 0-2 GREECE
