Republic of Ireland vs Iceland
You could be forgiven for thinking there will be a muted atmosphere inside the Aviva Stadium for this one.
Such was the horrific injury Seamus Coleman suffered a few days ago, it may be hard for the Irish to motivate themselves for what is, to all intents and purposes, no more than a friendly.
However, when football games are being hosted in Dublin, betting odds always point to a brilliant atmosphere.
The double leg fracture captain Coleman endured will only act as extra reason for Irish fans to create a party atmosphere and encourage the Emerald Isle stars to win this one for Seamus.
There is no timescale on his recovery, yet it seems Coleman will certainly be out of action for some time to come, including the five remaining World Cup qualifiers over the next seven months.
If they are to defeat Iceland, they will also have to make do without John O’Shea, James McCarthy, Glenn Whelan, and Jonathan Walters – not to mention the likes of Robbie Brady, Ciaran Clark and Wes Hoolahan who were already ruled out.
Friendly or not – Ireland are priced 1X2 @ 2.24 and Iceland @ 3.20 – it will be well worth sampling the delights of the Aviva, as much for the exchanges between two sets of passionate football supporters – by far the best two in last summer’s European Championship.
Who can forget the Iceland story of summer 2016 when the underdog was not so much a puppy dog that gained teeth but a lion that roared.
Their maiden tournament appearance went as far as the quarter-finals, with England famously dispatched and eventual champions Portugal held to a draw.
The country with the population of 323,000 continues to impress as it bids for a place in next year’s World Cup finals with Heimir Hallgrimsson building on the legacy left by the now legendary Lars Lagerback.
Here are two nations with one goal in common – a love of football.
That will be evident on the terraces.
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
