Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu won Man of the Match for his terrific performance, making ten saves throughout the game.

Serbia were ahead from the 20th minute but Irish pressure led to a late own-goal and almost flipped the script on the side who were top of Group A heading into this game.

Ireland looked much improved in comparison to their performance to the display they put up in the reverse fixture.

Ireland looked a lot better defensively as Serbia’s attacking lineup dominated possession for the majority of the game.

After the Serbians dominated the opening minutes, Ireland found their way into the game through Jeff Hendrick and Adam Idah.

Hendrick put in one of his best performances in an Ireland shirt on the night with some strong carries from midfield.

Adam Idah struck a header just wide from an offside position but it was clear that confidence had seeped into Stephen Kenny’s side.

However, a set-piece let them down 20 minutes into the game when Alan Browne failed to track his man and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic headed home in fine fashion.

Bazunu got a touch on the ball but could not do enough to stop it and the home side fell behind.

Ireland looked to responded but Serbia dominated possession until half-time with the home side hanging on.

Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic came close several minutes before the end of the half but was stopped by Ireland’s 19-year-old goalkeeper.

Serbia continued to search for the second when play restarted in an effort to give their lead some security.

Ireland struggled with the Serbian crosses and Bazunu pulled off some magnificent saves to deny the away side in the second half.

However, later in the half, Ireland started to attack more as the Serbians grew more desperate for a second.

Subsitute Callum Robinson and right wing-back Matt Doherty provided a strong threat to the Serbian backline, which was often disconnected from the rest of the side.

James McClean also looked to progress the ball further up the pitch on the left flank and the Derry man also had his moment in defence, clearing the danger after Serbian substitute winger Nemanja Radonjic found clean air.

The Irish pressure grew and grew and the national side got their reward when Robinson’s cross from the right wing caused a panic and the clearance whacked off Serbian centre-half Nikola Milenkovic and was redirected into the net.

The stadium erupted after helping the pressure to weigh down on the visitors and Ireland, after a minute of nerves and a near-wondergoal from Nemanja Gudelj, began to look for a second.

The side pushed hard and Omibamdele almost scored the winner from distance, forcing Serbian keeper Predrag Rajkovic to make an acrobatic save.

Several corners came and went but Ireland could not find a winner and the two sides settled for a draw.

The Republic of Ireland picked up their second point of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign and are now a point ahead of Azerbaijan.

Ireland overperformed by getting a draw against a side such as Serbia and it is the kind of result that stands to Stephen Kenny and the project he is building.

However, we will have to wait until October to see more of it.

Man of the Match: Gavin Bazunu (Republic of Ireland)

Republic of Ireland (3-5-2): Gavin Bazunu; Shane Duffy (C), John Egan, Andrew Omobamidele; Matt Doherty, James McClean, Josh Cullen (Jayson Mollumby 66), Jeff Hendrick (Conor Hourihane 78), Alan Browne (Callum Robinson 58); Jamie McGrath (Daryl Horgan 66), Adam Idah (James Collins 78)

Serbia (3-4-3): Predrag Rajkovic, Strahinja Pavlovic, Milos Veljkovic, Nikola Milenkovic; Nemanja Gudelj, Filip Kostic, Filip Djuricic (Nemanja Radonjic 70), Sergej Milinkovic–Savic, Dusan Tadic (C) (Nemanja Maksimovic 83); Dusan Vlahovic (Luka Jovic 70), Aleksandar Mitrovic.

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Ireland head into the second half of the qualifiers without a win in their first four games while Serbia sit top of Group A on 10 points, ahead of Portugal on goal difference.

Stephen Kenny’s side have had a frustrating first international break of the season so far, losing away to Portugal in the dying moments of the game and failing to earn three points against a rigid Azerbaijan in Dublin.

Serbia, on the other hand, have scored four goals in both of their games in the international break, including a 4-0 win in a friendly against Qatar in Hungary.

Dragan Stojkovic’s side dispatched of Luxembourg at the Red Star stadium at the same time Ireland salvaged a draw with 112th in the world Azerbaijan.

Luxembourg had previously beaten Ireland by a goal in an empty Aviva Stadium at the end of March where the away side always looked better.

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a second brace of the World Cup Qualifiers so far to take his tally to six in the campaign.

His first brace came against Ireland in the teams’ reverse fixture – a 3-2 Serbian home win.

Ireland have produced two of their best performances against the two sides heavily favoured to progress from Group A – Serbia and Portugal – and Stephen Kenny will be hopeful of more of the same on Tuesday night.

Captain Seamus Coleman will be unavailable for the Republic of Ireland through injury after playing all 90 minutes against both Portugal and Azerbaijan while Southampton forward Shane Long is still sidelined with coronavirus.

Cyrus Christie will join the squad for the Serbia game in Coleman’s place.

Lineups

Republic of Ireland (3-5-2): Bazunu; Omobamidele, Egan, Duffy (C); Doherty, Hendrick, Cullen, Browne, McClean; Idah, McGrath.

Subs: Kelleher, Talbot, Manning, Hourihane, Parrott, Robinson, Christie, Horgan, Molumby, Collins, Arter, Scales.

Serbia (3-4-3): Rajkovic; Pavlovic, Veljkovic, Milenkovic; Gudelj, Milinkovic-Savic, Kostic, Djuricic; Tadic, Vlahovic, Mitrovic

Subs: Dmitrovic, Mladenovic, Ilic, Maksimovic, Radonjic, Jovic, Mitrovic, Racic, Lukic, Ristic, Svilar.

Odds

Republic of Ireland 12/5

Draw 23/10

Serbia 11/10

Where To Watch

The match between the Republic of Ireland and Serbia will be held at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and will kick-off at 7:45 pm. The game will be shown on RTÉ 2 and Sky Sports Football – coverage on both channels begins at 7 pm.

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The Republic of Ireland had the lion’s share of possession throughout the game but a 25-yard strike from Azerbaijani midfielder Emin Makhmudov forced Stephen Kenny’s side to chase the game in the second half.

The ever-reliable Shane Duffy headed home with three minutes to spare in normal time to share the spoils with the visitors but Ireland failed to deliver on the promise they showed on Wednesday against Portugal.

Duffy and co. started out as the better side, applying pressure on a three-man defence that appeared as if holes could be exposed in it.

However, as the half went on, Ireland’s history under Stephen Kenny of being wasteful in front of goal had another chapter added to it as the side failed to take the lead despite having several strong chances to do so.

Ireland’s 3-4-3 formation failed to impact their play positively with a midfield who struggled to keep possession and an overreliance on creativity down the right flank.

Azerbaijan got to grips with the game and started pushing back and applying pressure on the hosts’ back five.

Ireland weathered much of the storm but not without some alarming amounts of space being afforded to the opponents on the ball at times.

The half looked to be ending without a goal before Makhmudov rifled the ball past Gavin Bazunu, shocking the Aviva and putting Giovanni De Biasi’s side ahead.

De Biasi’s defensive tactics shone in the second half as the Republic of Ireland were frustrated time and time again.

The game followed the trend Azerbaijan have showcased in recent history of allowing at least twice as many shots against themselves as they took.

However, the Azerbaijani defence, namely a narrow back three and goalkeeper Sahruddin Mehemmedeliyev, held firm.

Wycombe Wanderers striker Daryl Horgan came on in place of Aaron Connolly and injected some much-needed urgency into the side.

Troy Parrott was taken off 17 minutes into the second half with Jayson Molumby on in his place.

Parrott struggled throughout the game after being placed in a deeper role than usual – it was not uncommon to see Idah centrally and Parrott behind him with no presence on the right-hand side in the final third.

Ireland got their goal with minutes to spare courtesy of Shane Duffy, who became the side’s joint top-scorer under Stephen Kenny with his equaliser – Duffy and Parrott have both scored two since Kenny’s first game in charge.

The team pushed for a winner but could not find it and come out of their first half of World Cup Qualifier fixtures with just a point to show for it.

The Republic of Ireland host Serbia on Tuesday, September 7 in the first of their reverse fixtures against their Group A opponents.

Serbia smacked Luxembourg 4-1 in the Red Star Stadium in Belgrade and have given Ireland a mountain to climb to get out of the group – although it does not seem like Stephen Kenny’s side have a chance.

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The Group A showdown means one of the sides will finally get points on the board after both teams suffered losses to Portugal, Serbia and Luxembourg.

Stephen Kenny’s Republic of Ireland side came close in their last match against Portugal after two disappointing opening games against Serbia and Luxembourg but it was not to be.

Our match report detailed an Ireland that had cohesion in defence and offered threats up top via the vision of their midfield.

More of the same will be expected against an Azerbaijan side who have given up at least twice as many shots as they have taken in each of their three other qualifying games.

They will hope to get their second win under the former Dundalk and Ireland U21 boss against the side ranked 112th in the world.

Ireland have announced their team for today’s game, which sees Ronan Curtis, Alan Browne and Callum Robinson all make a return to the matchday 23.

Ireland’s full-backs will once again be crucial to their performance – the duo of Seamus Coleman and Matt Doherty will retain their spots after the Portugal match.

Norwich City’s Andrew Omibamidele made his debut for the national side after he came on in Dara O’Shea’s place after the latter centre-half was forced off through injury.

Omibamidele impressed and will appear again on the bench for the Republic of Ireland as the formation shifts from a 3-5-2 to a 4-4-2.

Giovanni De Biasi’s side tends to set up defensively but do deploy wing-backs and can offer a threat in the final third if given the chance.

Lineups

Republic of Ireland (4-4-2): Bazunu; Coleman, Duffy, Egan, Doherty; Connolly, Cullen, Molumby, McClean; Idah, Parrott.

Subs: Kelleher, Talbot, Manning, Hourihane, Robinson, Hendrick, Browne, Horgan, McGrath, Collins, Curtis, Omibamidele.

Azerbaijan (4-3-3): Mahammadaliyev; Medvedev (C), Haghverdi, Camalov, Kryvotsiuk; Mahmudov, Qarayev, Bayramov; Alasgarov, Emreli, Ozobic.

Subs: Salahli, Mustafayev, Ahmadzada, Seydayev, Cannatov, Huseynov, Mustafazada, Nuriyev, Khalilzada, Ibrahimli, Sadykhov, Bayramov.

Odds

Republic of Ireland 1/2

Draw 11/4

Azerbaijan 6/1

TV Coverage 

Kick-off for the match is at 5:00 pm with RTÉ 2 broadcasting the game – their coverage begins at 4 pm.

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Ireland will travel to Faro to take on Portugal at the Estádio Algarve on Wednesday, September 1 before returning to Ireland to take on Azerbaijan on Saturday, September 4 and Serbia on Tuesday, September 7 at the Aviva Stadium.

Enda Stevens, Callum O’Dowda, Jason Knight and Chiedozie Ogbene have all been ruled out through injury whilst West Bromwich Albion striker Callum Robinson tested positive for COVID-19 this week, and is currently in isolation.

Burnley defender Nathan Collins receives his first call-up to the senior squad whilst Jamie McGrath and Andrew Omobamidele keep their place in the squad after impressing in the summer camp in Andorra and Hungary.

Brighton and Hove Albion striker Aaron Connolly and Newcastle United midfielder Jeff Hendrick return to the squad having missed the summer international friendlies, with the squad set to fly out to Portugal on Sunday.

Republic of Ireland Squad

Goalkeepers: Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Gavin Bazunu (Portsmouth, on loan from Manchester City), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth)

Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Shane Duffy (Brighton and Hove Albion), John Egan (Sheffield United), Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion), Ryan Manning (Swansea City), James McClean (Wigan Athletic), Andrew Omobamidele (Norwich City), Nathan Collins (Burnley).

Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Anderlecht), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United), Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), Harry Arter (Nottingham Forest), Jamie McGrath (St. Mirren), Jayson Molumby (Brighton and Hove Albion)

Attackers: Aaron Connolly (Brighton and Hove Albion), James Collins (Cardiff City), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Troy Parrott (MK Dons, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Shane Long (Southampton), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth).

Fixtures

01/09 – Portugal v Republic of Ireland, Estádio Algarve, 7:45pm
04/09 – Republic of Ireland v Azerbaijan, Aviva Stadium, 5 pm
07/09 – Republic of Ireland v Serbia, Aviva Stadium, 7:45 pm

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Mark Travers – 4

It was a tough competitive international debut for Travers. The Bournemouth ‘keeper was thrown into the deep end on the night and he never really looked comfortable or assured.

He was particularly at fault for Serbia’s second goal. His positioning allowed Aleksandar Mitrović to produce a stunning chip over his head and give Serbia the lead.

Otherwise, he opted to knock the ball long when at his feet instead of using the shorter option.

Travers will have better games in an Ireland shirt but tonight wasn’t his night.

Matt Doherty – 6

Playing at right wing-back as he has done in the past for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Doherty produced a reasonably good performance.

His off the ball movement caused problems for Serbia at times but his end product was lacking.

He was also defensively solid when called upon.

Enda Stevens – 5

There was plenty of space down the left flank for Stevens to operate in and at times he presented danger to the Serbian defence, but probably not enough for the amount he had the ball in the final third.

He wasn’t particularly effective defensively, either.

Not a great night for the Sheffield United man.

Séamus Coleman – 7

The return of Coleman to the Ireland fold after missing a number of squads was a much-needed boost to Stephen Kenny and his coaching staff.

Despite a typically solid performance, though, he was unable to inspire his country to a positive result.

Coleman made a handful of important defensive interventions to disrupt Serbian attacks as well as looking composed on the ball, all while playing in the unnatural position of centre-back.

Dara O’Shea – 7

Perhaps Ireland’s best defensive performance on the night, O’Shea proved he’s more than capable of stepping up to the plate at international level.

He was particularly impressive in the early stages of the game, regularly stalling Serbian attacking moves.

He also made a number of line breaking passes which allowed Ireland’s more offensive minded players to get forward.

Ciaran Clark – 6

In his first international game in two years, Ciaran Clark looked relatively comfortable on the left side of the back three.

He played one particularly good ball down the left-hand channel which could have resulted in an Ireland opportunity.

Overall, it was a fairly good return to the international fold for Clark.

Jayson Molumby – 5

A lack of game time this season meant Molumby’s inclusion in the starting XI was a surprise to many, particularly given how well Jason Knight has played for Derby.

His rustiness was evident as he gave away a number of fouls, particularly in the first half.

As usual, he tried his utmost to influence the game but his effort wasn’t rewarded.

Josh Cullen – 7

In what was his first competitive start for Ireland, Cullen looked as composed as anyone else on the pitch.

He’s been terrific for RSC Anderlecht this season and his performance tonight displayed some of the qualities that have made him such a fan favourite at the Belgian club.

His passing, while not always the most progressive, provided a foundation for the more creative players in the squad to advance the play.

He was also relentless in his pressing and work rate throughout.

Alan Browne – 8

He showed glimpses of his potential against Slovakia in that crucial European Championship play-off last year, but Alan Browne really made his presence known tonight.

He was voted man of the match after an impressive performance which seen him score the opening goal and display a good passing range.

The Preston North End captain showed why he’s so highly valued by the Championship club tonight.

Hopefully there’s much more to come from the Corkman.

Callum Robinson – 8

In truth, either of Alan Browne or Callum Robinson could have been awarded man of the match.

The former Preston team mates linked up well for the opening goal as Robinson provided the assist onto Browne’s head.

He also looked very comfortable on the ball and played a number of good passes/crosses throughout the match.

Aaron Connolly – 5

Apart from one controversial decision from the referee not to award a penalty for a tackle on Connolly, the Brighton forward failed to get into the game otherwise.

Despite being part of a front two, Connolly appeared isolated for much of the match.

He was eventually subbed off after getting injured in the 67^th minute.

SUBSTITUTES

Jeff Hendrick – 5

The first substitution of the night was Jeff Hendrick, but you wouldn’t have known he was on the pitch based on his involvement – or lack of – after coming on.

Shane Long – 6

Coming on for Aaron Connolly in the 67^th minute, Long made the most of his time on the pitch as his persistence helped Ireland to a second goal with just minutes remaining in the match.

He capitalized on a defensive mistake after some good pressing before laying the ball off to James Collins who scored his first competitive goal for the country.

James Collins – 7

A bad night for Ireland but a good one – personally at least – for James Collins.

The Luton Town striker came on with about 10 minutes remaining and it didn’t take him too long to make his mark.

He displayed good composure in front of goal to pull one back for Ireland with just minutes remaining.

His cameo tonight could well influence Stephen Kenny to start him on Saturday.

James McClean – 6

Often the scapegoat for when things go bad for Ireland, McClean played well after coming off the bench.

His urgency was much needed going into the dying embers of the game and he got down the line well, playing in several crosses in his short time on the pitch.

He also completed the majority of his passes.

Robbie Brady – 6

His decrease in minutes recently for Burnley possibly influenced Stephen Kenny not to start Brady tonight, but he played fairly well when he was called into action.

He was instrumental in Ireland’s second goal, playing a decent ball down the line which ended up in the back of the net thanks to Long’s persistence and Collins’ composure.

FT | Serbia 3-2 Ireland.

A tough one to take in Belgrade.

The hosts came from behind to lead after Browne hit the front for Ireland. Collins pulled a goal back late on, but despite some late pressure, Stephen Kenny’s side couldn’t find a leveller.#WEAREONE | #COYBIG | #SRBIRL pic.twitter.com/atushGu1Gc

— FAIreland (@FAIreland) MARCH 24, 2021

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Ireland’s World Cup qualification opponents were revealed earlier today. Their opponents for the upcoming campaign will be; Portugal, Serbia, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan.

Qualification for the World Cup finals is only reserved for 1^st and 2^nd placed teams within each group. Teams who place top of their respective groups will automatically qualify. On the other hand, runners-up will enter a play-off to determine which team goes through.

It will be a tough ask for Ireland to qualify, particularly given their poor recent form and the quality of opposition. Nevertheless, Ireland have overcome odds before and will be hoping to do so once again during this qualification campaign.

The campaign is set to kick off in March 2021, running until November of the same year. Here’s an overview of what Ireland are up against:

PORTUGAL

Portugal, being seeded in Pot 1 and having an exciting mix of youth and experience, are obvious favourites to win the group.

They’ve qualified for the last 5 World Cups, having last failed for the 1998 World Cup. In contrast, Ireland have not qualified for a World Cup since 2002.

Ireland have faced Portugal a total of 13 times, losing 7 and winning 4 times. Their most recent fixture was an international friendly, a game which ended up in a 5-1 Portuguese victory.

Unlike Ireland, Portugal have major international honours to their name. Perhaps most famously, they won the 2016 European Championships after defeating France in extra time. They also won the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019.

Cristiano Ronaldo will be hoping to become international football’s highest ever goalscorer by the end of the campaign. He currently sits on 102 goals, just 7 goals behind current top goalscorer, Ali Daei.

Portugal have quality all over the pitch, meaning Ireland will have to be at their very best to claim any kind of result.

Key players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, João Félix.

Form: WLWWD

SERBIA

Despite losing to Scotland in their European Championship play-off game, Serbia are a quality side. They possess players of particular high quality in the midfield and forward areas.

They’ve been involved in 3 World Cup qualifying campaigns as Serbia – having previously competed under Yugoslavia and Serbia & Montenegro – and have qualified from 2 of those. They have, however, not made it past the group stage as of yet.

Ireland have faced Serbia 5 times, not winning a single match. Their most recent meeting came in the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, where both teams were drawn in the same group. One fixture finished in a Serbia win while the other finished as a 2-2 draw. Serbia topped the group while Ireland qualified for the play-offs, but failed to qualify for the tournament.

Although not as fearsome as Portugal, Serbia should provide a stern test for Ireland. The fixtures against Serbia are crucial for Ireland. Whoever comes out on top will have a very good chance of making the play-offs – assuming Portugal tops the group.

Key players: Sergej Milinković-Savić, Aleksandar Mitrović, Dušan Tadić

Form: WDDDL

LUXEMBOURG

Although not traditionally a country known for it’s football, Luxembourg have put together a decent team in recent years. They *might not* qualify for major tournaments any time soon, but they are definitely building towards something promising.

Ireland have faced Luxembourg 5 times, winning all of those fixtures. However, the last match between the two sides came in 1987 and Luxembourg are an improved, more professional side since then.

Luxembourg have competed in every World Cup qualifying campaign since 1934, but have failed to qualify from the group stages as yet.

They were promoted from Nations League group D in 2019 and very nearly achieved the same feat this year as they finished finished 2^nd in their League C group – which also included Azerbaijan.

Luxembourg could very well be the dark horse in this group, Ireland will have to do a professional job on the underdogs. Complacency could prove an issue going into this fixture.

Key players: Gerson Rodrigues, Vincent Thill, Laurent Jans.

Form: DLLWW

AZERBAIJAN

Like Luxembourg, Azerbaijan’s national team has been steadily improving for years. Much of the progression is due to the growth of their domestic league. Qarabağ, in particular, have vastly increased their reputation in recent years due to their involvement in the UEFA Europa League. In fact, they’ve qualified for the group stages every year since 2014.

Unlike the other teams in the group, Ireland have never faced Azerbaijan before. They have, however, faced the USSR – which they were part of – on 8 occasions. Ireland won 3 of those matches, while the USSR won 4.

Azerbaijan have never qualified for the World Cup as an independent country, having entered every campaign since 1998.

As mentioned before, they were in the same Nations League group as fellow group members, Luxembourg, this year. Luxembourg were victorious on one occasion while the other match between the two finished as a stalemate.

Realistically, Azerbaijan should finish bottom of the group. That is not, however, guaranteed. Ireland will have to be at their best to ensure a victory.

Key players: Ali Ghorbani, Maksim Medvedev, Gara Garayev.

Form: DDDDL

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Stephen Kenny’s Ireland team will face Portugal and Serbia in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. The Boys in Green suffered a heavy defeat last time they played Portugal, losing 5-1 back in 2014. Whilst their last competitive fixtures both ended all square in the lead up to the 2002 World Cup.

As a consequence of Ireland’s poor recent form, they found themselves in pot three for the draw meaning they will also face Serbia. Since 2008, Ireland and Serbia have gone head to head five times, resulting in three draws and two wins for the Serbians. Similar to Ireland, Serbia suffered their own EURO 2020 qualifying heartache after losing to Scotland on penalties in the play-off final.

Luxembourg and Azerbaijan make up the remainder of Group A. It will be the first time Ireland have ever played Azerbaijan, and it will have been over 30 years since they have faced Luxembourg.

Group A is now complete

1⃣ Portugal
2⃣ Serbia
3⃣ Ireland
4⃣ Luxembourg
5⃣ Azerbaijan

What are your thoughts on that draw? #COYBIG | #WCQ | #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/wLpzS50IfW

— FAIreland (@FAIreland) December 7, 2020

Qualifying Format

The ten group winners will automatically qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. An additional three spots are up for grabs, with each runner-up along with the two highest-ranked teams from the UEFA Nations League set to contest in a play-off format for the last available places.

The qualifiers commence at the end of March 2021 with three opening fixtures scheduled. You can find the full World Cup 2022 qualifying draw below.

Group A: Portugal, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan.

Group B: Spain, Sweden, Greece, Georgia, Kosovo.

Group C: Italy, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria, Lithuania.

Group D: France, Ukraine, Finland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kazakhstan.

Group E: Belgium, Wales, Czech Republic, Belarus, Estonia.

Group F: Denmark, Austria, Scotland, Israel, Faroe Islands, Moldova.

Group G: Holland, Turkey, Norway, Montenegro, Latvia, Gibraltar.

Group H: Croatia, Slovakia, Russia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta.

Group I: England, Poland, Hungary, Albania, Andorra, San Marino.

Group J: Germany, Romania, Iceland, North Macedonia, Armenia, Liechtenstein.

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