Israel vs Republic of Ireland – News and Probable Lineups

After suffering defeat in their respective opening matches, the Republic of Ireland and Israel will battle in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday night, meeting in neutral Hungary.

As they head into the second of four consecutive games during this international break, both sides are trailing early frontrunners Austria and Kosovo in League B, Group 3.

Match overview

In their first competitive outing since falling to a World Cup playoff semi-final loss on penalties, the Republic of Ireland managed just a single shot on target in Thursday’s unimpressive defeat to Kosovo.

Having made their debut in Europe’s second tier, the hosts celebrated their League B start with a victory in Pristina, significantly troubling the five-man Irish defence during a match dominated by them.

Vedat Muriqi eventually broke the deadlock in the 83rd minute, with the Boys in Green unable to respond, continuing their trend of sluggish starts in the Nations League. Historically, Ireland has not won any of their opening matches, averaging a mere 0.7 goals per game in the competition’s brief existence.

As they prepare for Euro 2028, which will be hosted in part at home, Heimir Hallgrimsson’s group understands that positive outcomes in this tournament could support their aspirations of qualification for those finals.

Some teams may receive an alternative chance to access the European Championship playoffs, while securing a top two spot in Group 3 would ensure a place in pot two for the December qualifying draw.

Consequently, Ireland will aim for all three points this weekend, with the match being clouded by protests at home, as UEFA mandates that all fixtures be played. Widespread calls for a boycott of both encounters against Israel have been declined by the FAI.

Due to the intensity of public sentiment, Ireland’s ‘home’ game against Israel next week will be played behind closed doors in Serbia. However, before that, they must face off in the Hungarian city of Debrecen.

Israel is currently placed 76th in FIFA’s rankings, having missed out on yet another major tournament this year, finishing behind Norway and Italy in World Cup qualifying.

Ran Ben Shimon’s team has previously experienced relegation in the Nations League, claiming only one win from six games, which left them at the bottom of their group last time out.

Consequently, the Sky Blue and Whites returned to League B on Thursday, experiencing a 3-1 loss to Austria in Linz.

Despite Sayed Abu Farkhi equalizing shortly after the interval, he was later sent off for a controversial celebration resembling gunfire, and two late goals ultimately sank Israel’s rear guard.

Team News

Hallgrimsson picked an experimental squad for three summer friendlies, but he has returned most of Ireland’s senior players this month.

Notably, former captain Seamus Coleman has been left out while he searches for a new club, and current captain Nathan Collins is sidelined due to a calf issue.

Additionally, Jack Taylor, Mikey Johnston, Evan Ferguson, Jamie McGrath, and Josh Cullen are all unavailable, which further limits Hallgrimsson’s rotation options.

Assuming he is not rested, Troy Parrott, who scored a hat-trick during his last visit to Hungary, is expected to spearhead the attack, having begun his time at Real Betis on a positive note. Excluding own goals, he has netted Ireland’s last six in competitive fixtures.

On the other hand, Israel will have to make a personnel change in the attacking department as Abu Farkhi is currently suspended. Either Dor Turgeman or Tai Baribo, both of whom play in MLS, could step in to fill the void.

Defensively, the trio of Stav Lemkin, Itay Rotman, and Or Blorian are out of this international camp due to injury.

Israel probable starting XI:

To. Peretz; Dasa, Nachimas, Shlomo, Revivo; E. Peretz, Do. Peretz; Khalaily, Gloukh, Solomon; Turgeman

Republic of Ireland probable starting XI:

Kelleher; O’Brien, Abankwah, Egan, O’Shea, Manning; Molumby, Knight; Azaz, Ogbene; Parrott

These teams may find themselves battling against relegation as the campaign advances, and their initial matchup is likely to conclude in a stalemate.

While Ireland has improved their defensive organization, they seem to maintain only one path to scoring; hence, another low-scoring encounter is expected in an unusual and subdued atmosphere in Debrecen.