England vs Republic of Ireland preview, H2H, team news, key players, line-ups and prediction

England will aim for back-to-back wins to seal automatic qualification to League A when they1 host Republic of Ireland at Wembley on Sunday.

This match will not only be England’s final group game of the current Nations League campaign but also the conclusion of Lee Carsley’s tenure. The interim manager will oversee his sixth and final fixture for the Three Lions.

Following Gareth Southgate’s resignation after back-to-back European Championship final defeats, Carsley, previously the England U21 boss, stepped in temporarily. However, he will make way for Thomas Tuchel after the group phase wraps up.

If England defeats  Ireland, Carsley’s record will stand at five wins and one loss. Despite an unsuccessful experiment in their initial encounter with Greece, England have largely flourished under his guidance.

Several players, including Curtis Jones, have earned their first senior caps and seized the opportunity with confidence. This leaves the squad in strong form as Thomas Tuchel prepares to take over in March for the next international break.

England began their campaign strong with consecutive wins over Ireland and Finland. However, they were shocked by a home defeat to Greece. Since then, they’ve bounced back and are now close to promotion from League B.

Meanwhile, Ireland has had a more challenging run, losing three out of five matches and is out of contention for Group B2.

Ahead of the match, Carsley’s team faced scrutiny and uncertainty following their disappointing and disjointed performance in the October reverse fixture at Wembley.

A youthful England team delivered a dominant 3-0 win over Ivan Jovanovic’s side in Athens, leapfrogging their opponents and putting themselves in prime position for promotion.

Victory over Ireland on Sunday will seal their promotion to the top tier of the Nations League, sparing incoming manager Thomas Tuchel from a play-off.

England will be confident of securing all three points, having comfortably won 2-0 against Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side at the Aviva Stadium in September.

While England await confirmation on whether they will secure direct promotion to League A or face the challenge of a promotion playoff, Sunday’s match holds no significance for Ireland, whose fate has already been decided.

In their last clash, Hallgrimsson’s side clashed with Finland in a battle to avoid finishing last in the group. Brighton & Hove Albion’s star Evan Ferguson delivered the decisive goal, while Caoimhin Kelleher’s stunning double save — denying Joel Pohjanpalo’s penalty and Robin Lod’s rebound — proved equally vital.

By holding Finland at bay in Dublin, the Boys in Green ensured the Scandinavians’ relegation to League C while securing third place for themselves. This outcome means Ireland must now contest a playoff against a League C runner-up to retain their second-tier status.

Since the Nations League’s inception in 2018-19, Ireland have consistently been a participant in League B, finishing third in all four editions.

However, this year’s campaign saw them fail to win or even score against any team besides Finland in their group. Fans buying World Cup 2026 tickets will be expecting a lot more from their team if they make it to the big one in two years time.

England Vs Republic of Ireland match details

• Date: Sunday, 17 November, 2024
• Location: London, England
• Venue: Wembley Stadium
• Kick-off time: 05:00 PM GMT, 6:00 PM CET
• Referee: Erik Lambrechts
• Assistant Referees: Jo De Weirdt, Kevin Monteny
• Fourth Official: Nathan Verboomen
• VAR: Bram Van Driessche
• Assistant VAR: Bert Pu
• UEFA Referee Observer: Chaim Ya’akov
• UEFA Delegate: Kim Hallberg

Match stats and head-to-head

• England have scored at least three goals in their last five home games in the UEFA Nations League. They have also netted over two goals in four of their last six competitive games.

• Ireland have failed to score against England in their last three encounters and have also failed to find the back of the net in four of their past six away fixtures.

• Harry Kane has netted in 14 of his 23 recent international matches, totalling 17 goals. The 31-year-old has also scored 17 goals in 16 matches for Bayern Munich this season.

• Despite being geographically close, England and Ireland have rarely faced each other in international competitions. The teams have met only six times, with England winning twice, Ireland once, and three draws have been recorded. The last time the Boys in Green defeated the Three Lions was in 1988.

• England have won their last two encounters against Ireland, winning 3-0 in November 2020 and 2-0 in September this year. They have never won three consecutive matches against Ireland.

• Ireland claimed their first victory against England away in September 1949 at Goodison Park; since then, all seven of their games in England have been at Wembley, where they have not won any (D3 L4).

• England have suffered three losses in their last five games at Wembley (W1 D1), as many defeats as in their previous 50 matches combined (W39 D8 L3). This is only the third instance in which the Three Lions have lost three games at the national stadium in a single year, alongside 1977 and 1981, but they’ve never lost four in one year.

• England have remained unbeaten in their last 41 competitive games when scoring first (W38 D3), with their last loss when opening the scoring coming against Czechia in October 2019 in a UEFA European Championship qualifier.

• Jude Bellingham has earned 39 caps for England, all while playing for clubs outside of Britain (24 for Borussia Dortmund, 15 for Real Madrid). He is now tied with Owen Hargreaves for the most England caps won while playing for non-British clubs, with only David Beckham having more (55).

• Curtis Jones scored on his debut for England against Greece in the most recent UEFA Nations League match. He became the first player to score in his first two England appearances since Rickie Lambert in 2013, and the first Liverpool player to do so since Roger Hunt in 1962/63.

Players to look out for

Curtis Jones — England

Curtis Jones has stepped up his game at Liverpool under Arne Slot and carried that form into his England debut, making a strong case to be considered alongside key midfielders Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham when Thomas Tuchel takes over in March.

Lee Carsley is aware of Jones’ abilities from the U21s, but this performance showcased his complete range of skills in a challenging environment with high stakes. He demonstrated composure and accuracy in possession, added physicality with a game-high four tackles, and displayed technical brilliance and flair to score a stunning third goal for England.

Despite several players withdrawing from the England squad, Jones took full advantage of his chance. He’s become a key first-team player at his club and undoubtedly can play a similar role for his country.

Caoimhin Kelleher — Republic of Ireland

Caoimhin Kelleher is having an impressive campaign at Liverpool, where he has taken over as the first-choice goalkeeper following an injury to Alisson Becker.

The Irish keeper has featured in eight matches for Liverpool this season, recording four clean sheets. His reliable displays in goal are one of the factors contributing to Arne Slot’s team being at the top of both the Premier League and Champions League standings.

He brought that excellent form to the national team, saving a penalty for Ireland in their 1-0 victory over Finland on Thursday. The 25-year-old goalkeeper made four saves during the match, and his performance earned him the Man of the Match accolade.

The Boys in Green had taken the lead through an Evan Ferguson goal. However, Kelleher’s crucial penalty save from Joel Pohjanpalo in the 77th minute ensured they secured all three points, marking their second win in the last three games.

Team news

Harry Kane has been confirmed as a starter for Carsley’s final game in charge, who was already without nine injured players ahead of the victory against Greece.

The outgoing England manager now faces a new injury concern, as Ezri Konsa was substituted for debutant Lewis Hall in the 3-0 win over Greece due to a hip injury, leaving either Jarell Quansah or Taylor Harwood-Bellis to potentially make their senior England debuts.

Kane might not be the only change up front, as Jarrod Bowen and recent debutant Morgan Rogers could provide alternative options on the wings, though Jude Bellingham is expected to retain his place in the number 10 role.

Ireland manager Hallgrimsson will also be forced to make at least one change on Sunday, as key midfielder Jason Knight received his second yellow card of the group stage against Finland, resulting in a one-match suspension for him.

The Boys in Green are also concerned about the fitness of Watford winger Festy Ebosele, who made his first senior start for Ireland in midweek but was forced off with an injury midway through the second half.

With Knight suspended, Jayson Molumby is likely to partner Josh Cullen in midfield, while AZ Alkmaar’s top scorer Troy Parrott, who has netted seven goals in the Eredivisie this season, is a potential replacement for Sammie Szmodics up front.

Predicted starting lineup

England predicted starting lineup:

Pickford; Lewis, Guehi, Harwood-Bellis, Hall; Gallagher, Gomes; Bowen, Bellingham, Rogers; Kane.

Republic of Ireland predicted starting lineup:

Kelleher; Doherty, Collins, Scales, O’Dowda; McAteer, Cullen, Molumby, Johnston; Parrott, Ferguson.

Prediction

England’s victory over Greece, despite a depleted squad, will boost both the team’s and fans’ confidence ahead of this match. The Republic of Ireland, on the other hand, have nothing to play for, as qualification is no longer within reach.

However, for some, pride is priceless, and what better way to reclaim it than by defeating their closest rivals?

England are expected to dominate, and with Harry Kane leading the attack, one thing is certain in this clash:

Goals, goals, goals!

We’re predicting a 3-0 win for England.