Read Paul Doyle’s match report from Dublin:
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Martin O’Neill talks. “I think we allowed Denmark too much possession early on,” he says, “but when we got the ball we pushed forward with some purpose. I thought Cyrus [Christie] was fantastic and he had a great shot. I think a clean sheet was very important, to give us that confidence.”
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James McClean speaks. “It wasn’t pretty, football-wise, but we dug in and showed a good attitude,” the Republic of Ireland winger says. “I think we started lively. They are a good side, they gave us a 5-1 drubbing here in November and we battled well. It is nice to a pick up a clean sheet, we defended well tonight but we need that cutting edge to put the ball in the net.”
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What’s going on with Germany? That 3-0 defeat is their fifth loss in 2018. Next up for Joachim Löw’s side? France, on Tuesday evening in Paris. Even more worryingly, it is thought to be the first time in their history that they have failed to score in three consecutive competitive matches; they have won three of their past 12 matches. As for the Netherlands, that is the first time they have beaten Germany by three or more goals.
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Nations League results
Armenia 0-1 Gibraltar
Bulgaria 2-1 Cyprus
Georgia 2-0 Andorra
Latvia 1-1 Kazakhstan
Macedonia 4-1 Liechtenstein
Netherlands 3-0 Germany
Norway 1-0 Slovenia
Republic of Ireland 0-0 Denmark
Slovakia 1-2 Czech Republic
Drama in Dublin! Shane Duffy, the Ireland defender, is booked for diving after a brush with Henrik Dalsgaard in the box, well into two minutes of added time. There are penalty appeals and, for a moment, it looks inevitable, but the referee, Srdan Jovanovic, is having none of it. Duffy is aggrieved, and booked.
GOAL! Netherlands 3-0 Germany (Wijnaldum, 90)
Georginio Wijnaldum adds a third, and that’s game over.
GOAL! Netherlands 2-0 Germany (Depay, 87)
Memphis Depay converts after good by Quincy Promes, the substitute. It is a devastating counter attack, with Promes galloping down the right before Depay dinks the ball over Neuer. Double Dutch etc etc ...
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Shane Long’s barren run for Ireland goes on, with Aiden O’Brien on for his home debut. Long last scored for his country on 9 October 2016. Up the other end, Martin Braithwaite has just tested Darren Randolph, though the Ireland goalkeeper saw it all the way.
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So, Ireland supporters are doing a half-hearted rendition of the Icelandic thunderclap. There are 13 minutes, plus added time, to play in Dublin. For Denmark, Anders Christiansen is on for Kasper Dolberg. In Amsterdam, Julian Brandt has been summoned by Germany, while the classy Nathan Aké is on for the Netherlands, in place of Frenkie de Jong.
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Cyrus Christie – of all people – stings the fingertips of Kasper Schmeichel! Ireland work it nicely, with Shane Long unselfishly teeing up the Fulham defender, who has been operating in midfield for most of this evening, to shoot at goal. He hits it with real venom, and the Denmark goalkeeper palms away for a corner. Ireland look to continue the momentum, with Callum Robinson flighting a ball in from the left.
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“Germany have been fairly poor,” emails Charles Antaki, “possibly because of on-going World-Cup rubbishness, but also possibly because they’ve been mesmerised by Ryan Babel’s hair. It’s a sort of deep magenta, guaranteed to fix the eye and lead to wonderment.”
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GOAL! Macedonia 4-1 Liechtenstein (Alioski, 67)
Job done in Skopje, you’d imagine. Egzijan Alioski, the Leeds winger, has added a fourth goal. Victory would take Macedonia top of Group D4, with Gibraltar still bottom despite that win in Armenia earlier.
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GOAL! Bulgaria 2-1 Cyprus (Nedelev, 68)
Well, well, well. Meanwhile in Dublin, Robinson has replaced Harry Arter. Is that, essentially, Ireland going gung-ho? Overload?
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Martin O’Neill has seen enough, with his team growing increasingly placid in this contest. “This is tir-eire-some to watch,” moans my esteemed colleague, Will Unwin. Callum Robinson, the Preston North End striker, is about to jump off the bench. In Amsterdam, Julian Draxler has sent an effort sailing over for Germany, after being played in by fellow substitute Leroy Sané. Can they find an equaliser? Let’s wait and see.
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Simon Kjaer has his header cleared off the line by Harry Arter! The Denmark defender gets up at the front post to glance a corner goalwards, but the Cardiff City midfielder is there to hack away at the back post with a thumping left boot. The Danes, you sense, are turning the screw ...
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GOAL! Bulgaria 1-1 Cyprus (Despodov, 59)
Kiril Despodov equalises for the hosts in Sofia.
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A pretty pedestrian start to the second half for both teams in Dublin, though you sense Denmark are slowly strengthening their grip. They are dominating possession, at least. In Holland, the Dutch defence are standing tall as Germany pile forward, with Toni Kroos and Matthias Ginter both charging into the box in search of a leveller. A double change for Joachim Löw too, with Leroy Sané and Julian Draxler handed half an hour to make a difference. Müller and Can have been withdrawn.
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Half-time substitution for Ireland: Enda Stevens has replaced Callum O’Dowda, the midfielder who did take a whack. Elsewhere, there have been no changes in Amsterdam, where the Netherlands lead Germany. A quiet start to the second half in Dublin, but – hold on a minute – how about this zinger of a riposte from the Scotland and Liverpool defender Andy Robertson:
We’ve had to deal with all different things, but we keep going. I think the criticism’s a bit harsh, but some people prefer when we do bad instead of when we do good. The last game wasn’t good enough. But a lot of people look at the results, and we’ve played a lot of tough games, which has been hard for the lads when we’re trying to learn attack under a new manager.
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Without an influx of Macedonia-Liechtenstein chat sat in the inbox, here’s an email from Edouard on that old chestnut: VAR. “It seems that everyone has now decided that if any body part sticks out beyond the last defender, that it is offside,” he says. “Considering that I feel refereeing should inherently favour attacking play, and that I imagine the original intent of the offsides rule was to avoid hoofing it to a guy a few feet from goal, I am always resentful when commentators speak approvingly of extremely tight offsides. It seems like I am the only person who feels this way – is that true?”
Half-time scores
Bulgaria 0-1 Cyprus
Macedonia 3-1 Liechtenstein
Netherlands 1-0 Germany
Republic of Ireland 0-0 Denmark
Pione Sisto hits the post for Denmark! A combination of some slack Irish defending and cute footwork leads the winger to the edge of the box, before dropping his shoulder and unleashing an effort goalwards. It’s powerful and dipping, but kisses Darren Randolph’s left post. Ireland cannot afford to give a player of his quality so much time and space.
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Shane Long buys another foul for Ireland, with Lasse Schöne forced into a clumsy challenge on halfway. Martin O’Neill will be happy with aspects of this performance, but it has hardly been riveting. They have worked hard, pumped long throws into the box without really impressing. Denmark have been pretty poor, though almost prosper through Henrik Dalsgaard’s beautiful deep cross – but Ireland’s Matt Doherty eventually clears.
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GOAL! Bulgaria 0-1 Cyprus (Kastanos, 41)
Grigoris Kastanos, the young Juventus forward, opens the scoring.
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Shane Duffy heads wide for Ireland! Jeff Hendrick floats a wonderful free-kick from about 25 yards out in towards the six-yard box, and the centre-back is there to meet it but his effort drops off-target. The Brighton defender should have done better, in truth.
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GOAL! Macedonia 3-1 Liechtenstein (Yildiz, 37)
Seyhan Yildiz pulls one back. In goal for the visitors is Benjamin Büchel, once of Bournemouth and Havant & Waterlooville fame.
GOAL! Macedonia 3-0 Liechtenstein (Pandev, 36)
Goran Pandev, these days of Genoa, adds a third for the hosts, who are now three goals to the good in Skopje.
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GOAL! Macedonia 2-0 Liechtenstein (Trajkovski, 30)
Aleksandar Trajkovski, the Palermo striker, has doubled his – and his country’s – tally for the evening.
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GOAL! Netherlands 1-0 Germany (Van Dijk, 30)
Ronald Koeman’s side take the lead, with Virgil van Dijk crashing home from close range after Ryan Babel rattled the crossbar.
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Denmark pry forward, with Thomas Delaney diving to meet a dinked ball into the box. He clatters Darren Randolph in the process, while Callum O’Dowda is also down. He looks a little groggy. Meanwhile, Jon Dahl Tomasson, the former Milan striker, looks toasty in the dugout in Dublin. The Denmark assistant these days, alongside manager Age Hareide, Dahl Tomasson was capped 112 times by his country, scoring 57 goals. Talking of European legends, Rafael van der Vaart and Dirk Kuyt are both in Amsterdam to watch the Netherlands entertain Germany.
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Timo Werner has just fluffed his lines for Germany, after being put through by Thomas Müller. He drags his effort wide in the end, though Germany are very much in the ascendency in Amsterdam. For the Dutch, the highly-rated Frenkie de Jong has been busy, with the 21-year-old scythed down by Emre Can, now of Juventus.
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Ireland have started pretty brightly. Callum O’Dowda has just fizzed in a free-kick from the right after Shane Long, who has been lively, won a foul out of Thomas Delaney. Simon Kjaer, the Denmark captain, clears for a corner but Ireland decide to play it short, and that’s that, really. It’s still 0-0 between the Netherlands and Germany in Amsterdam.
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GOAL! Macedonia 1-0 Liechtenstein (Trajkovski, 10)
Aleksandar Trajkovski puts the hosts ahead in Skopje.
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Harry Arter is booked for a bit of a lunge on Martin Braithwaite, the Middlesbrough forward. That was a little needless.
Jeff Hendrick somehow shoots wide! But he only runs through on goal towards Kasper Schmeichel after seizing the ball from Thomas Delaney, who is looking at a hurt Harry Arter on halfway. Delaney cagily hangs on to the ball, gesticulating to stop play, but Hendrick nips in before whizzing past two Danish defenders. Really, Hendrick should score, but he fires wide. And a bit of a dust-up between the Irish and Danish players ensues, with Schmeichel particularly enraged about that.
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Denmark win an early free-kick, but Lasse Schöne’s ball in does not beat the first man and Ireland will lap up that sort of delivery that up all day long. In Holland, the Netherlands have an early sniff of goal through Memphis Depay, but the forward is met by Manuel Neuer as he bares down on goal.
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Peeeeeeeeeep!
And we’re off.
Martin O’Neill, talking a little earlier, says he hopes for a high-octane start. “We want to be on the front foot,” he said. “We have certain players here who I think will adjust. This is an opportunity while we’re playing at home to go on the front foot. Matt Doherty will be playing in his normal position on the right-hand side as it’s his first game for us.”
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The teams are in the tunnel, from Dublin to Amsterdam, where Joachim Löw will preside over his 168th match as head coach of Germany, surpassing the 167-game record of Sepp Herberger.
Alas, no Christian Eriksen for Denmark in Dublin, with the Tottenham midfielder missing with a stomach injury. He has scored 19 of their last 44 goals. “He’s a good player, an important player for us, but we haven’t focused on him not being there but on the players who are here,” said Age Hareide. “We may have to play a different way without him but we have shown we have a lot of good players in Denmark. We don’t want being without Christian to be an excuse after the game. We need to do our best.”
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For the Republic of Ireland, there is another vote of confidence for Shane Long, who starts against Denmark. Seán Maguire, Callum Robinson, Aiden O’Brien and Scott Hogan, who all play their football in the Championship, are options from the bench. Ronan Curtis, the excellent Portsmouth forward, remains with Noel King’s Under-21s, and his club seem to be coping without him just fine:
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A great night for Gibraltar, then – but it did not pass without a pre-match boo-boo. Before kick-off, they were incensed by the wrong national anthem being played, that of Liechtenstein. “The Armenian FA has apologised to the head of delegation representing the Gibraltar FA in Yerevan for this oversight and an announcement has been made at the national stadium apologising for the error,” they said in a statement. Still, they have their first win in a competitive game at the 23rd time of asking.
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Gibraltar have just picked up their first ever points in a competitive international, and just their third ever win. As a country, they boast a population the same capacity as Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium, but they have just beat an Armenia team featuring Henrikh Mkhitaryan 1-0, with Joseph Chipolina’s second-half strike the difference in Yerevan. And with that, they have more Nations League victories than England. There are, of course, plenty of tears.
Saturday's fixtures and results
Bulgaria v Cyprus
Macedonia v Liechtenstein
Netherlands v Germany
Republic of Ireland v Denmark
Armenia 0-1 Gibraltar
Georgia 2-0 Andorra
Latvia 1-1 Kazakhstan
Norway 1-0 Slovenia
Slovakia 1-2 Czech Republic
Team news!
Republic of Ireland: Randolph; Doherty, Duffy, Keogh, Long, Christie; McClean, Arter, Hendrick, O’Dowda; Long
Denmark: Schmeichel, Dalsgaard, Kjaer, Zanka, Stryger, Schone, Delaney, Braithwaite, Yurary, Sisto, Dolberg
Netherlands: Cillessen, Dumfries, De Ligt, Van Dijk, Blind; De Roon, Wijnaldum, F De Jong; Bergwijn, Depay, Babel
Germany: Neuer, Kimmich, Hector, Hummels, Ginter, Boateng, Kroos, Uth, Can, Müller, Werner
Preamble
The Republic of Ireland have painful memories of their last encounter with Denmark, with Christian Eriksen close to unplayable as he hit a hat-trick in the World Cup play-offs last November. Things can only get better for Martin O’Neill’s side, surely? They are in a bit of a rut; bogged down by injuries and Roy Keane, as ever, has been ruffling a few feathers behind the scenes, while on the pitch, they’re struggling to score goals at one end and keep them out at the other. “In truth, we don’t have anyone who has proved themselves to be a prolific scorer, so it is a difficult one,” O’Neill said. As for Denmark, they brushed aside Wales last month, with – guess who – Eriksen scoring twice. Elsewhere tonight, two old foes – the Netherlands and Germany – will do battle in Amsterdam. Both have struggled to hit the dizzy heights, as they continue to rebuild after a difficult 12 months or so respectively.
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