The Republic of Ireland’s painful Euro 2024 campaign reaches its climax in Amsterdam on Saturday evening as they complete their Group B fixtures with a tough test against the Netherlands.
The game may represent a dead rubber for Stephen Kenny’s side, who have only wins over minnows Gibraltar home and away to show for their efforts to date, but the Dutch can clinch second place behind France, who have already qualified for the finals, with a victory.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the talking points surrounding the game.
The last waltz?
Stephen Kenny has divided opinion during his spell in charge of the Republic.
The former Dundalk boss has drastically overhauled the squad to introduce younger players while attempting to instil a more progressive brand of football.
However, his 28 competitive games to date have yielded just six wins – five of them against Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Armenia and Gibraltar home and away – and only one of note, a 3-0 Nations League victory over Scotland in June last year.
Kenny’s current contract is due to end after Tuesday’s friendly clash with New Zealand and few commentators expect it to be extended.
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If Kenny has ushered in the new during his time at the helm, there could be a touch of nostalgia in his final competitive game.
Wrexham’s James McClean announced last month that he would retire from international football at the end of the campaign and was initially included in the squad for only the New Zealand game.
However, injuries prompted Kenny to hand the 34-year-old a seat on the plane to Amsterdam, where he could win a 103rd – and penultimate – senior international cap.
Seagull or Parrott?
Much of the hope for a brighter future has been placed in the hands of 19-year-old Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, whose goal in last month’s 4-0 victory over Gibraltar was his third in eight senior appearances for his country.
However, the teenager has been nursing a back injury in the run-up to the game and with Luton’s Chiedozie Ogbene out with an ankle problem, Tottenham’s Troy Parrott could find himself in contention.
Now 21 and playing his club football in the Netherlands on loan at Excelsior, Parrott has three Eredivisie goals to his name in eight outings so far this season and was used as a substitute in the June fixtures against Greece and Gibraltar following his return to the squad.
Dutch courage
The Republic’s hopes of making it to Germany next summer were all but extinguished by a 2-1 home defeat by the Netherlands in September, when Cody Gakpo’s penalty and substitute Wout Weghorst’s second-half strike cancelled out Adam Idah’s early spot-kick.
But those with longer memories may take inspiration from a famous World Cup qualifier victory over the Dutch in September 2001 when Jason McAteer secured a 1-0 win at Lansdowne Road over a side which included Edwin van der Sar, Jaap Stam, Marc Overmars, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Patrick Kluivert and substitutes Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Pierre van Hooijdonk despite Gary Kelly’s dismissal.
Koeman’s back ache
Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman has a rich array of talent from which to select, but his defensive options have been severely depleted by injuries.
Feyenoord’s Lutsharel Geetruida is the latest man to join a casualty list which already included Jeremie Frimpong, Matthijs de Ligt, Nathan Ake, Micky van de Ven and Sven Botman, and while PSV Eindhoven’s Jordan Teze has been drafted in to replace Frimpong, the manager has not called on further back-up.
Charlotte FC want justice in "most important game in their history," says Smith
Charlotte FC head into the “most important game in their history” with a chip on their shoulder, according to Dean Smith.
The Crown were defeated 2-0 away at Orlando City in game one of the playoffs and need a win in their first-ever home playoff match to keep their hopes of progress alive.
Smith was aggrieved after designated player (DP) Pep Biel was given his marching orders after 91 minutes for violent conduct and Charlotte’s appeal was rejected, leaving their forward suspended for the home encounter.
It is a situation that Smith hopes will galvanise his team and the home crowd alike, to get them over the line and set up a final decider back in Orlando.
“We’re excited for it, we’re looking forward to it. We feel aggrieved and I think the injustice that we as a team feel will make the club grow stronger,” he said.
“[Biel’s suspension] is a problem for our club because this is the biggest game in our history. We’re at home in front of our fans for a playoff game for the first time and we’ll be missing a DP.
“But we’ve done enough for me to know that we can hurt them, especially at home with our fans behind us.”
It is seemingly a consensus across the team that home advantage can provide the key to success against Orlando.
“It’s frustrating but, it could be over three games. They used their home advantage. It’s time for us to use ours on Friday. It’s a completely different game at the Bank,” said midfielder Ashley Westwood.
If Charlotte do manage to secure a win they’ll tie the series and set up a decider in Orlando, something Smith is not as keen about.
“The only problem in this result for us is that if we get the win as we want to do on Friday, we’ll have to be back at Orlando a week later,” he said.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Charlotte FC – Kristijan Kahlina
Nominated for MLS goalkeeper of the season, he will be crucial in maintaining Charlotte’s impressive home defensive record. They kept an MLS-high nine home clean sheets during the 2024 regular season.
Going back to the end of last season, Charlotte have kept clean sheets in 12 of its last 20 home matches in all competitions.
Kahlina has played all 35 of Charlotte’s MLS matches so far this season and boasts a save percentage of 75.6%, having kept 12 clean sheets.
Orlando City – Facundo Torres
The striker was on form in game one of the play-offs, bagging a goal in Orlando’s 2-0 win. He is Orlando’s top scorer this season with 15 goals.
He has the second-best shot conversion rate at Orlando (28.8%), and his distribution is just as vital to the visitors, having made 46 key passes this season – the second most on the team.
MATCH PREDICTION: CHARLOTTE FC WIN
The only ever away win in the eight all-time meetings between Charlotte FC and Orlando City was a 2-1 win by the Lions on their first visit to Charlotte in August 2022.
Since then, Charlotte are unbeaten in three home matches against Orlando City (W1 D2).
The Crown have lost just three of their last 28 home matches in all competitions dating back to June 2023 (W13 D12), the fewest home defeats by any MLS team in all competitions in that time.
However, if anyone can get a result away at Charlotte, it’s Orlando. They have won five of their last seven away matches (L2), including winning the last three in a row.
The Lions have scored three goals in each of their last three away games, something no team has ever done in four straight MLS matches (incl. playoffs).
Orlando have got the better of Charlotte of late, unbeaten in their last four MLS matches (Wins: 2 Draws: 2 Losses: 0).
Charlotte are looking for their first league win in encounters between the two sides since March 2023. Orlando have outscored Charlotte 7-3 during their unbeaten streak.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Charlotte FC – 36.8%
Draw – 26.3%
Orlando City – 36.9%
Leverkusen boss Alonso calls for defensive improvement
Xabi Alonso wants to see defensive improvements from Bayer Leverkusen, as he prepares for an "intense" game against Stuttgart.
Leverkusen, the Bundesliga champions, have already shipped 15 goals in the league this term.
They sit third, five points behind joint-leaders Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig and three ahead of eighth-placed Stuttgart ahead of Friday's clash.
Leverkusen have dropped nine points from winning positions in the Bundesliga this season, with only Wolfsburg worse off (11). They are the only team to have led in all eight of their league games this term (W4, D3, L1).
That is after Leverkusen did not squander a single point after taking the lead last season, and Alonso says there is plenty of room for improvement.
He said: "The last few games against Stuttgart have been really exciting.
"We are already feeling a good energy ahead of the game and we have prepared for the intensity that we expect. It’s a huge game.
"It's a big task for us to improve our defensive performance. We can score a lot of goals but we must not concede them.
"We hope to keep a clean sheet and we need to play well with and without the ball."
Stuttgart have not made a flying start to their Bundesliga campaign, though they have reeled off three straight wins in all competitions, including beating Juventus in the Champions League.
"There are a lot of emotions in these matches and Stuttgart are a strong team," said Alonso.
"They deserve their place in the Champions League."
Stuttgart have led in each of their five competitive games against Leverkusen under Sebastian Hoeness, but have not won any of them.
The last three meetings have seen Leverkusen score after the 88-minute mark.
Despite their iffy form this season, the defending champions have lost just one of their last 42 Bundesliga games (W32, D9).
They have picked up the most points in the league by far since the start of last term (105), followed by Bayern (92), Leipzig and Stuttgart (both 85).
Women's Super League predictions: Skinner to win 100th Man Utd game, Chelsea to stay perfect
With the first international break of the campaign now in the rearview mirror, all eyes are back on the Women's Super League for matchday six.
Manchester City beat Aston Villa to ensure they stayed top of the pile, but Chelsea, the only side to win all of their games this season, are hot on their heels at the summit.
Manchester United's winning start was halted by Brighton, though they are still unbeaten ahead of taking on Arsenal in what will be Marc Skinner's 100th game in charge.
There is a London derby in the offing, with Spurs taking on West Ham, while there are also important fixtures for sides at the wrong end of the table, with Everton and Aston Villa, along with the Hammers, searching for their first win of the campaign.
But which of those sides will emerge victorious on matchday six? We turned to the Opta supercomputer to get its latest set of WSL predictions.
MANCHESTER UNITED V ARSENAL
The weekend's action kicks off with a blockbuster encounter at the Leigh Sports Village Stadium, with Renee Slegers hoping to maintain her excellent start as the Gunners' interim boss.
Slegers' first WSL match in charge ended in a 2-0 triumph over West Ham. Arsenal have now won their last three away games in the division and could win four in a row on the road in the league for the first time since December 2022 (eight).
But they face a stern test against the Red Devils, who have only lost one of their last four home games against the Gunners in the WSL (W2 D1), and following 3-0 wins over West Ham and Tottenham, are looking to win their opening three home games of a WSL season for the first time.
This will be Skinner's 100th game in charge of United in all competitions – his win rate (62.6%) with the club is by far his best with a team across his managerial career (47% at Birmingham City, 21% at Orlando Pride).
Opta's model is forecasting a tight encounter. United are handed a 35.1% win probability of emerging victorious, compared to Arsenal's 38.9%, while a draw is given a 26% chance of happening.
BRIGHTON V LEICESTER CITY
Brighton enter the weekend just outside the top three on goal difference following their 1-1 draw with United before the international break, and are on a three-game unbeaten run.
The Seagulls are unbeaten at home in the league this season (W2 D1) and could go four home games in a row without defeat in the WSL for the very first time.
However, they have struggled against Leicester on home soil in recent years.
Leicester are unbeaten on their last two trips to Brighton in the WSL (W1 D1), and the Foxes will be full of confidence after ending a run of 12 league games without a victory when they beat Everton last time out.
Brighton's win probability is a hefty 53.1%, with Leicester given a 22.9% chance and 24% of the match simulations finishing all square.
CRYSTAL PALACE V MANCHESTER CITY
WSL leaders Man City make the trip to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace, who have lost their first two home games in the WSL by an aggregate score of 0-8 upon their return to the top-flight.
Gareth Taylor's team will become the fourth side to play 200 games in the WSL after Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton – with their 142 wins after 199 matches are already the most by a team across their first 200 games in the competition.
City have also done well against promoted teams. They have won 23 of their 24 games in the division against such opponents, netting 88 goals and conceding just nine times. The only exception was a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in May 2023.
Lauren Hemp will also be looking to continue her fine form. She has now both scored and assisted in 16 different WSL games, with Vivianne Miedema (20) the only player to do so more often in the competition
City are overwhelming favourites, winning 78.3% of the supercomputer's pre-match simulations, while Palace have just a 9.4% chance of earning their second win of the season. A draw is only 10.1% likely.
TOTTENHAM V WEST HAM
Tottenham, meanwhile, will be hoping to bounce back from their 5-2 defeat to Chelsea when they take on West Ham, who find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table after five games.
Spurs have lost three consecutive league matches for the first time under manager Robert Vilahamn, only losing more times across their opening five games in a WSL season in 2020-21 (four), but have won three of their last four home London derbies in the WSL (L1) after winning just one of their first 11 in the competition (D3 L7).
The Hammers have won only one of their five away meetings with Tottenham in the WSL (D2 L2) and are winless in their last 14 league games (D6 L8), with only six teams ever going longer without victory in the competition – it is the longest ever unwanted streak by a London club in the competition.
They are given just a 21.7% chance of earning a first win of the season with a draw assigned at 23.1%, while Tottenham are given a 55.2% win probability.
ASTON VILLA V LIVERPOOL
Aston Villa welcome Liverpool to Villa Park, with both sides hoping to ignite their seasons with a victory after disappointing draws against Leicester and Crystal Palace respectively last time out.
The supercomputer makes this fixture the toughest to call on matchday six, with Villa given a 35.4% chance of victory to Liverpool's 38.6%. The draw threat is at 26%.
Villa won their first ever WSL meeting with Liverpool 1-0 in November 2022 but are winless in their three games against the Reds since (D1 L2).
They have also failed to win their opening five league games for the second season in a row, the sixth team to do so in back-to-back campaigns in the WSL.
Liverpool completed a league double over Villa last season and have also enjoyed games away from Merseyside. They are unbeaten in their last seven away games in the WSL (W5 D2), having never before gone eight in a row on the road in the competition without suffering a defeat.
EVERTON V CHELSEA
The weekend concludes at Goodison Park, where Chelsea will be looking to make it five WSL wins from five under new boss Sonia Bompastor.
The former Lyon coach is aiming to be the third manager to win their first five games in the WSL after David Parker and Jonas Eidevall (both of whom beat Everton in their fifth game). The Frenchwoman has also won 19 of her last 20 away league games as a manager (L1).
And she has reason to be confident of achieving that feat. Chelsea have won each of their last nine WSL games against the Toffees, only ever going on a longer winning streak in the competition against West Ham and Tottenham (current streaks of 10 wins).
Everton are also winless in their 19 previous WSL games against the reigning champions (D3 L16), failing to score in 10 of the last 12, while also failing to record a victory in their last three league matches at Goodison Park.
They are given a measly 9% chance of halting the Blues' winning run, and an 11.6% chance of holding their opponents to a draw. Chelsea, meanwhile, are given a win probability of 79.4%, the highest of any team on matchday six.
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