Republic of Ireland and Senegal will meet in a high-profile international friendly at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Friday.
The Republic of Ireland host Senegal at the Aviva Stadium on Friday and it should be an interesting international friendly.
The Boys in Green avoided relegation in the Nations League with a play-off victory over Bulgaria in March and Heimir Hallgrimsson’s men will be looking to build on that success ahead of September’s World Cup qualifiers.
Senegal have been in fantastic form, with last year’s Africa Cup of Nations penalty shootout loss to Ivory Coast representing the only defeat the Lions of Teranga have suffered in their last 20 matches.
Republic of Ireland v Senegal tips
Pays out at 16/5
Lions of Teranga can roar
Ireland will be hoping to continue to improve under boss Heimir Hallgrimsson, but the progression of the Boys in Green may be halted by a good Senegal side.
Hallgrimsson has left Callum O’Dowda, Jayson Molumby and Alan Browne out of the squad to aid rest and recovery, while Seamus Coleman and Sammie Szmodics have withdrawn through injury.
Those absentees leave Ireland a little short of experience and quality and the Boys in Green have struggled against strong opposition in the past.
Ireland were twice beaten 2-0 by Greece in last year’s Nations League campaign, they lost 2-0 and 5-0 to England in the same competition, while a pair of victories over Finland was the best Hallgrimsson’s men could offer.
Senegal will be without former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane on Friday, but this is a Lions of Teranga team in red-hot form.
Last year’s Africa Cup of Nations penalty shootout loss to Ivory Coast is the only defeat they have suffered in their last 20 matches and Pape Thiaw’s men haven’t lost a match in 90 minutes since September 2023.
Senegal are fancied to have too much quality for Ireland with Ismaila Sarr, Nicolas Jackson and Pape Matar Sarr all available for the Lions of Teranga.
Leg 1: Senegal to win 6/5
Goals unlikely to flow in Dublin
Senegal’s excellent run of results have been built on a rock-solid defence. Thiaw’s men haven’t conceded a single goal in their last seven matches and the Lions of Teranga have kept a clean sheet in 10 of their last 12 games.
Ireland failed to score a goal in four Nations League matches against England and Greece last autumn and the poor form of forward Evan Ferguson is a huge concern.
Ferguson did find the net against Bulgaria last time out, but the Lions are a low-level team, who were crushed 5-0 by Northern Ireland and failed to beat Luxembourg and Belarus in their Nations League campaign.
Senegal should be able to keep Ireland at bay and backing under 2.5 goals looks a good second selection as part of this bet builder.
Leg 2: Under 3.5 goals 13/20
