The Republic of Ireland's slim hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024 face a critical juncture this Friday as they welcome Greece to the Aviva Stadium in Group B.
Sitting in fourth place, the Irish are one spot behind Greece with a six-point deficit. The visiting team is guaranteed at least a playoff spot. Ireland's Euro 2024 qualification campaign has been less than impressive, with their only victory coming against Gibraltar, the lowest-ranked team in the group. The Boys in Green aimed to secure a spot in the Finals for the third time in four cycles, having previously qualified for the 2012 and 2016 tournaments. Unfortunately, they have no second chances this time due to their poor Nations League performance, and their fate could be decided by the end of Friday's match.
Greece, led by Gus Poyet, has had a mixed performance during the qualifying campaign. In a recent match against Gibraltar, they demonstrated their strength with a resounding 5-0 victory. The Greek team's dominance was highlighted by West Ham United's new signing, Dinos Mavropanos, who scored twice during that match. Now, Greece aims to extinguish Ireland's hopes while keeping their own chances of a top-two finish alive. The Netherlands is their primary competition in the group, and they will face the Dutch in their next game, with both teams level on points.
Greece's away form has been inconsistent, with only one win in their last six away matches. Additionally, they have won just three of their last 13 Euro qualifying games outside of their home ground. Despite this, Greece holds the upper hand in the head-to-head record, remaining unbeaten in their four previous encounters with Ireland. To keep their Euro 2024 dreams alive, the Boys in Green must break their Greek hoodoo, or they will face another year without top-level continental football.
- Location: Dublin, Ireland
- Stadium: Aviva Stadium
- Date: Friday 13 October
- Referee: Glenn Nyberg (SWE)
- VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
