Republic of Ireland vs Serbia
Ireland’s draw with Georgia isn’t a bad outcome, but after Wales beat Austria, the result now puts the Boys in Green in a perilous situation in their World Cup bid.
With just two points separating Ireland and Wales in second and third in Group D, the Irishmen need to step up against Serbia if they want to have some breathing space in the final stretch of football games in October and increase their chances of making it to the biggest stage.
Betting odds, nonetheless, point to a tough live betting match in Dublin. After all, Serbia lead the group with 15 points and will be equally determined to get the automatic World Cup qualification.
Serbia haven’t lost in the qualifiers and will be full of confidence when they visit the Aviva Stadium after a 3-0 victory against Moldova.
Of course, fans shouldn’t read too much into that comfortable win over an obviously weaker opponent; however, that should put goalscorers Aleksandar Mitrovic, Mijat Gacinovic and Aleksandar Kolarov in higher spirits as they look for a repeat performance.
Ireland, on the other hand, don’t have a lot of positives to take from their game with Georgia besides the fiery start which led to Shane Duffy’s fourth-minute opener. They failed to build on that momentum though and looked out of sorts for the most part.
Jonathan Walters, James McClean, Rob Brady and Shane Long are capable of bringing the heat to Slavoljub Muslin’s men, but coach Martin O’Neill must first find a way to improve Ireland’s use and control of the ball all while providing Serbia with little room to play their football.
Serbia are legitimate threats especially with their quality on the offensive end – they have already scored 16 goals and notched at least three goals in three of their last five qualifiers. Hence, the Irish need more than just grit and determination to win this one.
Ireland, though, should find some silver lining from the fact that they have drawn their last meeting with Serbia and were also undefeated after three straight stalemates in the tournament.
I think there’s a good chance that this match ends in a draw – a bet which would pay at 3.05 on 1X2 odds. But if you’re looking for a winner, Serbia on Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 2.31 also looks an enticing choice.
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
