Ireland's three-goal blitz sinks Israel in Nations League
Republic of Ireland beat Israel 3-0 in UEFA Nations League B Group 3 on 27 September, scoring three times inside the first 25 minutes three days after losing to Kosovo.
Republic of Ireland defeated Israel 3-0 at Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary, on 27 September in UEFA Nations League B Group 3, per RTE. All three goals came inside the first 25 minutes, and the result gave Ireland their first points of the group campaign.
The win came three days after a 1-0 loss to Kosovo in Pristina on 24 September, a game settled by Vedat Muriqi in the 83rd minute, per Sky Sports. For the Israel match, manager Heimir Hallgrimsson made five changes, per RTE: Liam Kitching, Ryan Manning, Conor Coventry, Jack Moylan and Adam Idah came in. Kitching, on loan at Sheffield United from Coventry City, made his first appearance for Ireland, per RTE. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu had withdrawn from the squad on personal grounds, and Jimmy Dunne was listed as third goalkeeper, wearing number 23, to meet UEFA squad regulations, per RTE.
How it unfolded
Troy Parrott opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a low shot under the goalkeeper, after a cross from Jayson Molumby and a squared pass from James Abankwah, per RTE. Three minutes later Adam Idah raced through on a Jack Moylan through ball and finished low into the bottom corner, per RTE. Moylan then made it 3-0 in the 25th minute with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box. After scoring, Moylan removed his black armband, kissed it and raised it in the air, per The 42.
Israel's Dor Turgeman needed treatment in the 28th minute, and Israel made a half-time change, with Dor Peretz replacing Guy Mizrahi. In the 59th minute Idah and Israeli defender Raz Shlomo clashed after an aggressive challenge, and both were booked after shoving and words were exchanged, per The 42. Hallgrimsson made his changes from the 68th minute: Jason Knight replaced Abankwah, Killian Phillips replaced Moylan, Thomas Cannon replaced Idah, Rocco Vata replaced Parrott and Joel Bagan replaced Molumby. At the other end, goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher made several second-half saves to keep a clean sheet, including one from distance from Peretz early in the half, per Echo Live.
The numbers behind it
Israel had 63.6 per cent of the ball and completed 562 passes to Ireland's 281, but the scoreline went the other way. Israel took eight shots and put four on target; Ireland took nine, put three on target and scored with all three. Kelleher's four saves matched Israel's shots on target, while Israel's goalkeeper made none.
| Stat | Israel | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Possession (%) | 63.6 | 36.4 |
| Shots | 8 | 9 |
| On target | 4 | 3 |
| Accurate passes | 562 | 281 |
| Passes | 629 | 353 |
| Corners | 2 | 4 |
| Fouls | 15 | 12 |
| Tackles (won) | 11 (5) | 12 (8) |
| Interceptions | 7 | 10 |
| Clearances | 28 | 15 |
| Saves | 0 | 4 |
Idah led Ireland with three shots, and Jake O'Brien completed 40 passes. For Israel, Manor Solomon had two shots and Nikita Stoioanov completed 109 passes. Ireland also won eight of their 12 tackles and made 10 interceptions, against Israel's seven.
The off-field context
The match was played amid tension over the conflict in Gaza. Ireland players wore black armbands and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem in recognition of lives lost in the Gaza conflict, and no handshakes were exchanged between the teams at kickoff or the final whistle, per The Irish Times. Hallgrimsson described the week as "one of the most challenging" of his coaching career, adding: "whatever you do, there's always going to be people that are against it," per The Irish Times. Asked whether he regretted using the word "genocide" to describe Israeli actions, he said: "It is a strong word and the wrong word for me to use," per Anadolu Agency.
What it means
The win leaves Ireland on three points in Nations League B Group 3, level with Kosovo, per RTE. Austria lead with six points from two wins, and Israel have none after two defeats, per RTE. Ireland host Austria next, at the Aviva Stadium on 1 October at 7:45pm Irish time, per beIN SPORTS.