Line-ups confirmed for World Cup play-off
Catch up with all the team news ahead of the Czech Republic vs Republic of Ireland
The Czech Republic welcome the Republic of Ireland for their crucial World Cup semi-final play-off tonight.
Both nations have their eye on a spot in the final against either Denmark or North Macedonia, but this is not an easy match for either team.
The Czech Republic will be leaning on a noisy home atmosphere to try and see them through to next week’s final, but the Irish are a fiery group, and will provide a stern test in a match that could go either way.
Catch up with all the team news ahead of the clash in Prague.
Czech Republic team news
Czech Republic starting XI: Kovar, Coufal, Holes, Krejci, Hranac, Jurasek, Darida, Chory, Provod, Sulc, Schick
Czech Republic substitutes: Hornicek, Jelicka, Chaloupek, Vitik, Karabec, Kliment, Cerv, Chytil, Sadilek, Zeleny, Visinsky, Soucek
Republic of Ireland team news
Republic of Ireland starting XI: Kelleher, Coleman, Manning, O’Shea, O’Brien, Molumby, Parrott, Azaz, Taylor, Ogbene, Collins
Republic of Ireland substitutes: Travers, Keeley, Egan, Dunne, Brady, Abankwah, Knight, Browne, Vale, Idah, Jenny, Szmodics
Where to watch Czech Republic vs Republic of Ireland
Czech Republic vs Republic of Ireland will kick-off at 19:45 GMT and is avaibable to watch in the UK on Prime Video.
Stats for Czech Republic v Republic of Ireland
- This will be the Republic of Ireland’s sixth World Cup play-off – they were eliminated ahead of the 1966, 1998, 2010 and 2018 World Cups, and progressed for the 2002 World Cup after eliminating Iran in the play-off.
- Republic of Ireland have won one of nine away matches in all competitions (D1 L7) against Czechia (including games as Czechoslovakia), a 2-1 win in November 1967 in a European Championship qualifier. They have lost each of their last five visits there since that win.
- Troy Parrott has scored five goals in his last two games for the Republic of Ireland, netting two against Portugal and a hat-trick against Hungary. He’s the fourth player to net 2+ goals in consecutive Ireland appearances, after Jimmy Dunne (May 1936), Robbie Keane (June 2013) and Callum Robinson (October 2021); no one has achieved that in three games in a row.
