Ireland take on Gibraltar at the Aviva Stadium this evening, where three points are expected. After the draw in Denmark on Friday night, a win in this fixture would leave Ireland sitting pretty at the top of Group D heading into the summer.
The performance in Copenhagen was an encouraging one, with the team showing far more bravery and belief than we had seen in previous fixtures against the Danes. We are hoping for the players to drive on from that tonight.
Mick McCarthy said in the buildup to this game that we would not see too many changes from Friday's game, and that has indeed proved to be the case.
There are two alterations to the team, with Scott Hogan and Callum Robinson in for Glenn Whelan and Robbie Brady. The move should see Jeff Hendrick drop into a deeper midfield role, with Hogan joining David McGoldrick up front.
2 changes to the Ireland team
@ScottHogan_9 🔄 Glenn Whelan @CallumRobinson7 🔄 Robbie Brady
🇮🇪🇬🇮 #IRLGIB #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/mwMNjcmad5— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) June 10, 2019
A victory against the world's 195th ranked side would leave Ireland sitting on 10 points after four fixtures, something the players and management certainly would have taken before the campaign. That position could look even more promising, depending on how the Danes get on against Georgia at home tonight.
Regardless of that result, a win is a must for Ireland tonight if they have ambitions of qualifying for Euro 2020.
