IRELAND’S WIN over Finland last night has created a clearer picture of their fate.
Regardless of what happens against England on Sunday, the Boys in Green will finish third in their group.
That means they avoid automatic relegation but compete in a two-legged promotion-relegation playoff against a side that finishes runner-up in League C.
The matches will take place on 20 and 23 March next year.
Staying in League B is important for World Cup and European Championship qualification purposes, as it impacts a team’s seeding.
Consequently, Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side will be determined to emerge victorious from this tie.
Below are some of the teams Ireland could face in the playoffs…
1. Sweden/Slovakia
Group 1 is a two-horse race for the top spot.
Both teams have three wins and a draw and the winner of tomorrow’s match in Stockholm will top the group.
Sweden conceivably are the toughest side Ireland could come up against.
Their squad boasts Premier League quality — Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski, Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, Man United’s Victor Lindelöf and Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga are among their standout names.
Sporting’s Viktor Gyökeres, who recently scored a hat-trick against Man City and has been linked with Man United and Chelsea among others, is another notable individual.
The Swedes are still favourites to top their group but they would be the team to avoid if they claim a runners-up spot.
Slovakia’s squad is not quite as star-studded, but they also have some talented players, including PSG defender Milan Škriniar and Napoli midfielder Stanislav Lobotka.
Ireland have bad recent memories of the Slovaks, who ended their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2020 in the playoffs following a penalty shootout defeat in Stephen Kenny’s third game in charge.
They caught the eye at the last Euros too. They were seconds away from a major upset by knocking out England in the round of 16 before Jude Bellingham scored a 95th-minute equaliser and the Three Lions went on to win in extra time.
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2. Kosovo
The runners-up in Group 2 will almost certainly be Kosovo.
They are assured of at least a second-place finish, as they are well ahead of Cyprus and Lithuania in the group.
Yet Romania look like the strongest side and should they win at home to Kosovo this evening (they prevailed 3-0 in the reverse fixture), they will guarantee the top spot in the group.
Kosovo have never qualified for a major international tournament and only played their first official match in 2014.
It would be the first time the team have played Ireland should they meet in the playoffs.
Irish fans are unlikely to be familiar with too many of their players.
Serie A-based defenders Amir Rrahmani (Napoli) and Mërgim Vojvoda (Torino) are among their key performers.
Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric could also potentially come up against several of his club teammates in the Irish squad.
3. Northern Ireland/Belarus/Bulgaria
The Northern Ireland team. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Ireland could technically end up facing all four teams in Group 3.
But for the sake of simplicity, we’re assuming Luxembourg, who have only picked up two points so far, won’t finish second and get a chance to repeat their famous win in Dublin in 2021.
The situation will become clearer after tonight’s games, but Northern Ireland top the group on seven points and could potentially secure promotion by winning at home to Belarus tonight.
Belarus and Bulgaria trail them by one and two points respectively.
A clash with their northern neighbours would be the Republic’s most high-profile tie imaginable in March.
The Republic have the stronger squad of the two countries. But there are players from Michael O’Neill’s side that could easily fit into Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side, including Liverpool’s Conor Bradley and Sunderland’s Daniel Ballard.
And the Boys in Green are only eight places above their rivals in the Fifa rankings.
Belarus would be similarly tricky and somewhat of an unknown quantity.
Many of their squad members play domestically or in Russia, with no footballer in Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues.
They are 97th in the Fifa rankings (Ireland are 63rd) but they did beat the Republic the one time the teams faced off — 2-1 in a friendly at Turner’s Cross just before Euro 2016.
Meanwhile, Bulgaria are a fading force. The team lost 5-0 versus Northern Ireland at Windsor Park last month.
A considerable portion of their squad plays domestically, though Leeds fans will be familiar with midfielder Ilia Gruev, who joined the Championship club from Werder Bremen last year.
4. Faroe Islands/Armenia/Latvia
A team from group 4 would probably be the most welcome draw from an Irish perspective.
North Macedonia are the runaway winners of the group and have already sealed promotion.
At the moment, Faroe Islands are in pole position to claim second following their shock 1-0 victory away to Armenia, ending a seven-match winless run since they last beat Liechtenstein in a friendly last March.
The team once managed by Dubliner Brian Kerr have played Ireland four times and lost on each occasion.
They are also the lowest-ranked team the Boys in Green could potentially face as they are 138th in the world.
Latvia, meanwhile, are only one place above them.
Nearly all of their squad are domestically based, with Raimonds Krollis of Serie C side Triestina and Kristers Tobers of Grasshopper among the few exceptions.
Of these three sides, Armenia are the team Ireland fans will be most familiar with.
They are one of just three countries Ireland have beaten in the Nations League, following a 3-2 win in Dublin under Stephen Kenny in 2022, although the 1-0 loss in Yerevan was one of the lowest moments of the former Ireland manager’s reign.
Given their position of 99th in the world, Armenia on paper are the strongest of the three sides Ireland could face, though recent results have indicated otherwise.
To secure second, they must win away to Latvia on Sunday and hope the Faroes lose in Skopje.
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9 teams Ireland could face in their relegation playoff
IRELAND’S WIN over Finland last night has created a clearer picture of their fate.
Regardless of what happens against England on Sunday, the Boys in Green will finish third in their group.
That means they avoid automatic relegation but compete in a two-legged promotion-relegation playoff against a side that finishes runner-up in League C.
The matches will take place on 20 and 23 March next year.
Staying in League B is important for World Cup and European Championship qualification purposes, as it impacts a team’s seeding.
Consequently, Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side will be determined to emerge victorious from this tie.
Below are some of the teams Ireland could face in the playoffs…
1. Sweden/Slovakia
Group 1 is a two-horse race for the top spot.
Both teams have three wins and a draw and the winner of tomorrow’s match in Stockholm will top the group.
Sweden conceivably are the toughest side Ireland could come up against.
Their squad boasts Premier League quality — Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski, Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, Man United’s Victor Lindelöf and Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga are among their standout names.
Sporting’s Viktor Gyökeres, who recently scored a hat-trick against Man City and has been linked with Man United and Chelsea among others, is another notable individual.
The Swedes are still favourites to top their group but they would be the team to avoid if they claim a runners-up spot.
Slovakia’s squad is not quite as star-studded, but they also have some talented players, including PSG defender Milan Škriniar and Napoli midfielder Stanislav Lobotka.
Ireland have bad recent memories of the Slovaks, who ended their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2020 in the playoffs following a penalty shootout defeat in Stephen Kenny’s third game in charge.
They caught the eye at the last Euros too. They were seconds away from a major upset by knocking out England in the round of 16 before Jude Bellingham scored a 95th-minute equaliser and the Three Lions went on to win in extra time.
2. Kosovo
The runners-up in Group 2 will almost certainly be Kosovo.
They are assured of at least a second-place finish, as they are well ahead of Cyprus and Lithuania in the group.
Yet Romania look like the strongest side and should they win at home to Kosovo this evening (they prevailed 3-0 in the reverse fixture), they will guarantee the top spot in the group.
Kosovo have never qualified for a major international tournament and only played their first official match in 2014.
It would be the first time the team have played Ireland should they meet in the playoffs.
Irish fans are unlikely to be familiar with too many of their players.
Serie A-based defenders Amir Rrahmani (Napoli) and Mërgim Vojvoda (Torino) are among their key performers.
Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric could also potentially come up against several of his club teammates in the Irish squad.
3. Northern Ireland/Belarus/Bulgaria
Ireland could technically end up facing all four teams in Group 3.
But for the sake of simplicity, we’re assuming Luxembourg, who have only picked up two points so far, won’t finish second and get a chance to repeat their famous win in Dublin in 2021.
The situation will become clearer after tonight’s games, but Northern Ireland top the group on seven points and could potentially secure promotion by winning at home to Belarus tonight.
Belarus and Bulgaria trail them by one and two points respectively.
A clash with their northern neighbours would be the Republic’s most high-profile tie imaginable in March.
The Republic have the stronger squad of the two countries. But there are players from Michael O’Neill’s side that could easily fit into Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side, including Liverpool’s Conor Bradley and Sunderland’s Daniel Ballard.
And the Boys in Green are only eight places above their rivals in the Fifa rankings.
Belarus would be similarly tricky and somewhat of an unknown quantity.
Many of their squad members play domestically or in Russia, with no footballer in Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues.
They are 97th in the Fifa rankings (Ireland are 63rd) but they did beat the Republic the one time the teams faced off — 2-1 in a friendly at Turner’s Cross just before Euro 2016.
Meanwhile, Bulgaria are a fading force. The team lost 5-0 versus Northern Ireland at Windsor Park last month.
A considerable portion of their squad plays domestically, though Leeds fans will be familiar with midfielder Ilia Gruev, who joined the Championship club from Werder Bremen last year.
4. Faroe Islands/Armenia/Latvia
A team from group 4 would probably be the most welcome draw from an Irish perspective.
North Macedonia are the runaway winners of the group and have already sealed promotion.
At the moment, Faroe Islands are in pole position to claim second following their shock 1-0 victory away to Armenia, ending a seven-match winless run since they last beat Liechtenstein in a friendly last March.
The team once managed by Dubliner Brian Kerr have played Ireland four times and lost on each occasion.
They are also the lowest-ranked team the Boys in Green could potentially face as they are 138th in the world.
Latvia, meanwhile, are only one place above them.
Nearly all of their squad are domestically based, with Raimonds Krollis of Serie C side Triestina and Kristers Tobers of Grasshopper among the few exceptions.
Of these three sides, Armenia are the team Ireland fans will be most familiar with.
They are one of just three countries Ireland have beaten in the Nations League, following a 3-2 win in Dublin under Stephen Kenny in 2022, although the 1-0 loss in Yerevan was one of the lowest moments of the former Ireland manager’s reign.
Given their position of 99th in the world, Armenia on paper are the strongest of the three sides Ireland could face, though recent results have indicated otherwise.
To secure second, they must win away to Latvia on Sunday and hope the Faroes lose in Skopje.
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