England host the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League at Wembley on Sunday, with another fixture in this famous football rivalries kicking off at 5pm, and caretaker Three Lions chief Lee Carsley is dealing with lots of injury problems. Nevertheless, England’s make-shift squad produce a professional display to beat Greece 3-0 in Athens, and will fancy their chances of following-up at Wembley on Sunday.
England v Ireland: Famous Football Rivalries
Nine players have dropped out of the England squad, so an unfamiliar line-up can be expected. The match may not, therefore, become a classic, but here we look at the five most gripping previous meetings between these old rivals.
Famous Football Rivalries: England 0-2 Ireland (1949)
History was made at Goodison Park in 1949 when the Republic of Ireland became the first non-British side to defeat England in England. The 52,000 spectators crammed into Goodison were stunned when Cornelius Martin opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute, then Peter Farrell sealed victory with five minutes to go.
Famous Football Rivalries: England 0-1 Ireland (1988)
England were stunned in Stuttgart during Euro 1988 when Ireland recorded a famous victory in Group Two. Ray Houghton, a star for Liverpool, scored in the sixth minute for Ireland and the outsiders held on to take the three points. England went on to lose all three group games, but Ireland also missed out on qualification, with the Soviet Union and the Netherlands progressing to the knockout stages.
Famous Football Rivalries: England 1-1 Ireland (1990)
Italia ’90 is regarded by many as one of the greatest World Cups of all time – certainly for England fans who loved watching Paul Gascoigne emerge as one of the best midfielders in the game. Gazza and England were left in tears after the Three Lions lost to West Germany in the semi-finals, but to get that far, Bobby Robson’s team had to battle to a Group F draw against Ireland.
Gary Lineker put England ahead after eight minutes in Cagliari, but Kevin Sheedy equalised in the 73rd minute. Both teams advanced to the knockout stages.
Famous Football Rivalries: Ireland 1-1 England (1990)
When England and Ireland found themselves in the same qualifying group for Euro 1992, two fierce battles resulted. Both games ended up being 1-1 draws, with England edging the group by a point, leaving Ireland heartbroken. In the first meeting at Lansdowne Road, David Platt gave England the lead after 67 minutes, but Tony Cascarino’s equaliser in the 79th minute sent the large majority of the 46,000 fans in attendance into raptures.
Famous Football Rivalries: Ireland 0-2 England (2024)
The most recent meeting between the two teams was a classic of sorts, as it led to numerous controversies. The match at the Aviva Stadium was a Nations League fixture which was England’s first outing since losing the Euro 2024 final to Spain.
New manager Lee Carsley, who earned 40 caps for Ireland as a player, refused to sing England’s national anthem. Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, who both represented Ireland at Under-21 level, scored England’s goals in a 2-0 success. Never has a match more highlighted the close ties between the two countries.
By Steve Palmer
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