Republic of Ireland vs Gibraltar tips: Patient hosts to edge a low-scoring game
- George Dempsey
- 18 June 2023
The Republic of Ireland face a must-win game on Monday as they host Gibraltar at the Aviva Stadium in a Euro 2024 qualifier.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
Euro 2024 qualifiers, Monday June 19, Kick-off 7:45pm, live on Viaplay Xtra
Predicted score
Republic of Ireland 2-0 Gibraltar
Suggested bets
Under 3.5 goals
Ireland to win by exactly two goals
Key stats
Ireland are currently ranked 49th in the FIFA rankings while Gibraltar are ranked just outside the top 200.
Ireland have won all four meetings against Gibraltar without conceding, beating them 7-0, 4-0, 2-0 and 1-0.
Ireland have lost just three of their last 15 European Championship qualifiers at home and haven't conceded more than once.
Gibraltar have never picked up a point in European Championship qualifying. They last scored on their travels against Poland in 2015.
Ireland team news
Stephen Kenny decided to omit several notable names from the Ireland squad as he takes the country in a new direction.
Robbie Brady, Shane Duffy, Enda Stevens and Connor Hourihane were among those omitted, with players on the other side of 30 preferred.
There was still plenty of experience on Friday with Matt Doherty, Neil Collins and John Egan among those in defence, but Kenny selected an energetic midfield.
Doherty will be unavailable after picking up a red card and some less senior players could feature late in the game if all is going well.
Republic of Ireland vs Gibraltar team news
Ireland have made a poor start to their qualification campaign. While there's no shame in a 1-0 loss to France, they needed to take something from Greece.
The draw leaves them six points behind second-placed Greece and three behind the Netherlands in the standings, with France topping the group.
Gibraltar were beaten 3-0 by France on Friday evening, following up 3-0 defeats to Greece and the Netherlands in the previous matchdays.
There was never any chance of Gibraltar qualifying but despite featuring in one-sided matches, they're not being beaten by the margins we are used to.
It sounds silly, but there was some progression against the French. Not just because they keep the score down, but because the xG matched the result.
Ireland are not the most attacking or free-flowing team, so there's some evidence they'll need to be patient in Dublin.
There's no doubt the game is a must-win for the hosts. Luckily, Stephen Kenny's men have won all four meetings with Gibraltar, most recently beating them 2-0 and 1-0 in 2019.
In 15 European Championship qualifiers dating back to 2010, no one has scored more than once against Ireland. They also shut out Portugal in their last World Cup qualifier here.
It's a different dynamic now they're presented with no choice but to control possession and attack, but they'll know two goals should do it.
We expect a cautious and controlled start with Ireland getting their first goal and managing possession carefully until that golden second arrives.
