Republic of Ireland vs. England

England’s interim manager Lee Carsley will lead his nation out for the first time as the Three Lions make the short trip to Dublin to take on the Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Nations League. The two sides are heading into the contest with new faces in the dugout and the playing staff, and the fixture is set to be filled with intrigue for the watching supporters, and pride for the families of each nation’s newest combatants.

England will be heading into the game as the heavy favourites, having made their way to the final of Euro 2024 in the summer, where they were bested by Spain. However, the fighting Irish spirit will see The Boys in Green set as no easy task, with the side likely relishing the opportunity to one-up the English. With a strong start to Group B in the Nation’s League, as well as England and Ireland pride on the line, here is all the betting information and odds as the Republic of Ireland host England.

Outcome

England backed to beat Ireland

Though the likes of Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins, two stars of England’s Euro 2024 campaign, have dropped out of Lee Carsley’s first squad as interim boss, the betting favourites going into the game will be the Three Lions here, who haven’t lost to The Boys in Green since 1988, and beat them 3-0 in their last meeting in 2020.

Though the Irish squad has improved year-on-year, so too has the England side, with the likes of Declan Rice and Jack Grealish having swapped to the Three Lions having previously competed for Ireland, which is certain to see them receive a volatile reception in Dublin.

Carsley is hoping to signal an era of change in the England squad, with no less than four uncapped players making the side in the form of Noni Madueke, Morgan Gibbs-White, Tino Livramento and Angel Gomes, and will be hoping the sparked changes (as well as the returns of Harry Maguire and the aforementioned Grealish to national duty) will be enough to see England overcome their first test of Carsley’s tutelage.

Over/Under

England chances may spell value

With England expected to run away with things at the Aviva Stadium, there may be value found in some attacking prices for them, as well as defensive prices for the Republic of Ireland.

A price of 12/5 for England to score three or more goals may spell decent fortune, and a total Ireland tackles prediction of over 15.5 could be a snip at 2/1 odds for an accumulator, especially with that metric having returned in four of Ireland’s last five fixtures.

Having won just two games in seven from their last fixtures as well, under the previous tutelage of John O’Shea, the impotus may be on Hallgrimsson to impart a dose of passion and spirit for a huge first test as manager, leaving the likelihood of high tackle rates and defensive grit spelling good value in tackle, foul and card prices.

Expect Kelleher to be kept busy in the Irish goal as a result of England’s favoritism; the Liverpool deputy ‘keeper has made more than four saves in three of his last five Ireland appearances. This is priced at 11/8 for Saturday, which promotes decent value in your bets.

Goalscorers

England to offer more in attack

With England set to take the three points, the onus is on the market to look toward their attackers for goal value. Lee Carsley has already made the promise of expansive, attacking football, and he will be hoping to turn toward his exciting attacking options to display this during his audition for the permanent role as England manager.

We can expect, if his time as Under-21 manager is anything to go by, to see a winger tuck in to create a false-nine style, as well as seeing the fullbacks bomb up to support the width. As such, the likes of Anthony Gordon and a likely-spirited-on-debut Morgan Gibbs-White may be solid options to score, featuring a decent price.

However, don’t underestimate the Irish threat. The Boys in Green are likely to be well up for this match, and carry considerable threat in some of their forward options. As the underdog in this game, their prices will steep higher, and may be worth a punt.

Prediction

England to take the win

We expect England to grab the win, but be wary of a tough fight by Ireland. It wouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to see the Republic of Ireland find the net in this fixture – keep an eye on some decent Player to Score prices above – backed by a fixture they will be more than up for and new thoughts in their dugout, but England’s attacking promise and defensive fortitude should get them over the line.

Keep an eye on the England wingers in the game, as Carsley loves to tinker with their impact on the game, and manage those prices on Ireland tackles as they dig in with that famous fighting spirit.

All data from SofaScore, all odds from bet365. Both correct as of 14:38 GMT, 5/9/24. Sports betting, even with advice, is always a risk to your capital. Play safely, play smart, and never stake what you cannot afford to lose.