As the dust settles on Euro 2020, the focus now turns to the qualifying campaign for the next major international tournament. For Stephen Kenny’s Ireland, the road to Euro 2024 begins with a crucial clash against France. With both sides eager to kick-start their qualification bid, this promises to be an enthralling encounter filled with drama, passion, and high stakes. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the two teams and what we can expect from this eagerly-anticipated match-up.
Tonight, it’s Ireland versus France in a Euro 2024 qualifier. At half-time, the score remains at 0-0. Ireland has looked solid defensively and composed in possession, but without posing a significant threat. Ogbene won a long ball into the corner, beating Hernandez again, but France cleared it away. Stephen Kenny, the Irish manager, was furious as the referee called a foul on Doherty, who looked to have tackled Muani fairly. France took it quickly; Pavard crossed into Griezmann, but his header went well wide.
Ireland defended well, with Coleman making a brilliant tackle on Mbappe in the penalty area; it went out for a corner, but Bazunu reacted brilliantly to gather Giroud’s header, which had come off Coleman and Molumby. Ferguson showed great strength to hold the ball up and flick it through to Knight, but he was chopped down and Pavard was shown a yellow card. Cullen whipped it in, but France headed it away. Ireland had three center halves up front, but they lacked the threat of Shane Duffy.
After 15 minutes, France had taken control of possession, and the hosts were defending well, with Egan making a diving block on the edge of the box. Mbappe looked to be a danger, but Ogbene cuts across him and won an early free-kick. The visitors had their first scare when Randal Kolo Muani was played inside, but Bazuna was out quickly, forcing the French attacker into a backheel back across goal, which the Ireland defense scrambled away.
France started their qualifying campaign off with a 4-0 win over the Dutch, while Ireland were 3-2 winners over Latvia on Wednesday. Ireland’s qualifying fixtures are against Greece, Gibraltar, the Netherlands, and France. France dominated possession during the opening half, but Ireland remained composed defensively, holding them off.
As the dust settles on Ireland’s first Euro 2024 qualifier against France, one thing is certain: Stephen Kenny’s team have shown that they have what it takes to compete with some of the best teams in Europe. Despite the disappointment of a 1-0 defeat, there were plenty of positives to take from the game, including a solid defensive display and some impressive attacking play, particularly in the second half. The road to Euro 2024 is a long and challenging one, but with Kenny at the helm and a determined and talented squad at his disposal, Irish fans can be confident that their team is in good hands. Until the next game, which promises to be another exciting chapter in Ireland’s Euro 2024 journey, let’s keep the faith, roar on the boys in green and hope that the luck of the Irish is on our side.
