Verdict: Total goals under 1.5
Best odds: 7/5
Bookmaker: 888sport
Georgia are set to welcome the Republic of Ireland to the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi on Saturday, for what will be game number six for both teams as they strive to book a place in next year’s European championship.
Georgia
Georgia sit one place above the bottom of Group D with four points to their name, and their chances to qualify, though never looking good to begin with, are now looking practically non-existent. They can be resilient when defending, despite the fact that Denmark managed to put five past them, but they are seriously lacking spark in attack. So far, they’ve only managed to score four goals in five games, three of which came in the mauling of the lowly Gibraltar and the fourth in that 5-1 thrashing in Copenhagen.
They did, however, manage do hold off Denmark completely at home, and they’re likely to try a strong defensive approach against the Irish too. After all, they came very close to it in Dublin, when a solitary strike from Conor Hourihane made sure the points stayed there.
Team News
There are no notable absentees from the Georgian team, and manager Vladimir Weiss isn’t likely to deviate much from the team which started in the 0-0 draw at home against Denmark.
Republic of Ireland
On the other hand, the Irish are unbeaten in the group so far and they sit top of the table with 11 points out the possible 15. Their performances haven’t been exactly glittering, but they’ve shown a high level of consistency in their dogged, extremely disciplined approach and it’s gotten them far on the road towards the tournament next year. Should they reach the goal, it will be their third consecutive appearance in a European championship.
Like Georgia, they don’t score too much, but they score enough and nobody was able to beat them, let alone hand them a “thrashing”. Manager Mick McCarthy has put together a strong group, a team with no real stars but with a level of commitment that’s hard to match.
Team News
McCarthy has been toying with the idea of starting 19-year-old Aaron Connolly after the forward played a brilliant game and scored two goals for Brighton and Hove Albion against Tottenham Hotspur. His explosive pace and skill on the ball, as well as a notable level of cleverness in his game, could prove the attacking spearhead Ireland need in the near future.
The manager will be able to count on Connolly’s teammate, defender Shane Duffy, who was out with a calf problem but has been given an all-clear to travel to Georgia with his national team.
Conclusion
The prediction for this one practically writes itself, doesn’t it? There is a chance that the Irish will walk away with the whole prize, and there is a chance of the spoils being shared at the end. You can never say never in football, but if Georgia manage to stay undefeated by keeping a clean sheet, it seems that’s all they can do. But with both teams struggling to score in recent times, more than a goal in the whole game would be a huge surprise.
Verdict: Total goals under 1.5
Best odds: 7/5
Bookmaker: 888sport
- Soccer News Like
- Be the first of your friends!
