Ireland vs Gibraltar prediction: EUROPE: Euro – Qualification betting tips on match 2023-06-18 18:45.
After a 2-1 defeat against Greece extended the Republic of Ireland’s losing start to their Euro 2024 qualification campaign to two matches, boss Stephen Kenny was frank that he has to “accept” the criticism being thrust his way. Kenny insisted his side were “hurting” after that latest defeat, but a home tie against FIFA’s #201 ranked side, Gibraltar, seems a perfect chance to kick-start their faltering campaign.
The pair have met four times in the past decade, with each game following a similar pattern – a Republic of Ireland victory. All four came with an accompanying clean sheet, and after Kenny’s admittance that his side lost the Greece game due to “poor defending”, Gibraltar’s visit is perhaps timely as Republic of Ireland bid to avoid just a second defeat in a home Euro qualifier since 2011 (W8, D6, L1).
In one of the greatest mismatches the FIFA rankings have to offer, Gibraltar’s 3-0 defeat to #2 ranked France on Friday was perhaps no disgrace. There’s no points on offer for effort alone though, and how Gibraltar would love to taste the success of securing at least one point in a Euro qualification campaign, as their previous 21 games in this capacity have all ended in defeat!
That includes a 7-0 loss against Ireland back in 2017 in their first-ever away Euro qualifier, and considering they’ve conceded at least twice in each of their ten such games to date, a heavy defeat can never be ruled out. Each of their games in this qualification cycle have followed suit too, with all three so far interestingly ending 3-0 after Gibraltar trailed at half-time.
Players to watch: An unlikely scorer in midweek, Nathan Collins has seen both his international strikes serve as his side’s only goal of the game, both of which arrived in the month of June! Gibraltar’s Lee Casciaro is one of just two players in the nation’s history to score in an away Euro qualifier, with his goal coming back in March 2015 against Scotland.
Hot stat: Only two of Gibraltar’s Euro qualifiers have ever produced under 2.5 goals, with both games coming against the Republic of Ireland!