Stephen Kenny names Ireland team to play Portugal in Dublin

Ireland have named their team for the match against Portugal.

The Republic of Ireland take on Portugal in a 2022 World Cup qualification game at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Stephen Kenny's team are out of contention to qualify for next year's tournament in Qatar, but they will be aiming to record a positive result against the 2016 European champions. Earlier in the day, it was confirmed that Daryl Horgan and the injured Andrew Omobamidele would miss out on the match-day squad, with Alan Browne and Callum O'Dowda making the cut.

Ireland XI to play against Portugal.

Kenny has opted again for a 3-5-2 formation. Gavin Bazunu starts in goal and will earn his eighth cap. In defence, Shane Duffy and John Egan are in a back three with Seamus Coleman, who captains the side. Matt Doherty is starting as the right wing-back with Enda Stevens as left-wing back. Josh Cullen, Jeff Hendrick and Jamie McGrath start in midfield, as does Chiedoze Ogbene. Callum Robinson leads the line for Ireland, with Adam Idah on the bench. You can see the full team below. https://twitter.com/FAIreland/status/1458862085790740486

Ireland v Portugal.

Portugal are ranked 8th in the Fifa world rankings and possess one of the most talented squads in international football. Led by Cristiano Ronaldo, the Iberian nation can also call upon Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva. Yet, Stephen Kenny's team pushed them all the way in the reverse fixture back in September. Ireland were leading 1-0 for most of the game thanks to John Egan's goal and looked to be on course to secure a famous victory in Faro. Ronaldo, however, scored twice in the final minutes to become the top-scoring player in the history of international football and break Irish hearts. Fernando Santos' team are currently second in Group A with 16 points from six games. They have a game in hand on Serbia, who are a point ahead of them. The two teams meet in the final game of the group in Lisbon on Sunday. Portugal are already guaranteed a playoff spot, but they can move towards the World Cup with a victory over Ireland. Kenny's team, meanwhile, are playing for pride and will want to impress in front of a sell-out crowd in Dublin, the first time the Aviva Stadium has been full for a football match since November 2019, before the pandemic began. For more information on the match, just click here.

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