Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal arrive in Dublin to face Ireland in the last 2022 World Cup qualifier at the Aviva Stadium. Stephen Kenny's men can't qualify for the World Cup but have began to pick up a bit of momentum. Results have improved slightly and positivity is beginning to return to the camp. The game is going to be played in front of a sold out Aviva stadium so if you weren't lucky enough to get a ticket here's how to watch Ireland vs Portugal and a match preview.
How to Watch Ireland vs Portugal
Ireland vs Portugal is on Thursday 11th November with kick off at 7:45pm.
The match is live on RTÉ 2 from 7pm.
The match is also live on Sky Sports Football from 7:30pm.
Match Preview
Ireland come into this international break off the back of a very successful one last month. They got their first competitive win in 18 months with a 2-0 win away in Azerbaijan and they followed that up with a 4-0 win at home against Qatar. It was an uplifting time for the fans as it looked like the players were finally beginning to click.
Aaron Connolly misses out on this squad while Will Keane returns to the squad, hoping to get his first cap. Nathan Collins also returns to the squad after making his international debut against Qatar. The young Burnley defender has gotten a good bit of game time recently and has impressed many with his composure and confidence. Andrew Omobamidele also returns to the squad as he's started to become a regular in the Norwich team.
The one positive from Leeds was Andrew Omobamidele. Looks like he's played for the first team for a number of years at just 19. So composed on the ball, strong in the air and quick across the ground. Arguably Norwich's best CB option right now #ncfc pic.twitter.com/3XXWofliYx
— Canary Cast (@CastCanary) November 2, 2021
Portugal have already guaranteed themselves at least a play-off spot for the World Cup. However they'll need a win if they are to qualify automatically for the tournament next year. Serbia currently sit atop of the group, one point ahead of Portugal with one extra match played. Portugal have a fully stacked squad ahead of this fixture. Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota, Ruben Dias and many other stars could be in line to play in Dublin. However Manchester City's Bernardo Silva is a doubt to play on Thursday.
Of course the last time these two met a late Cristiano Ronaldo double prevented Ireland from gaining a memorable victory. It was - and debatably still is - Ireland's best performance under Kenny. If Ireland perform in a similar fashion again it will be another great boost of confidence for the squad and fans. It may have been a poor qualifying campaign but a good result here can give people hope for progress in the future.
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