World Cup Qualifier Preview: Moldova -v- Rep of Ireland

Having accounted for Georgia on Thursday night at the Aviva Stadium, the Republic of Ireland take on Moldova in Chisinau on Sunday looking to maintain their unbeaten start to Group D.

MOLDOVA

Group D minnows Moldova have endured a tough start to World Cup qualifying. Igor Dobrovolskiy’s team have not won a qualifier in 13 outings, their last three points were gotten away to Montenegro in 2013.

You also have to go back three years to find their last home victory in qualifying, a 3-0 win over San Marino when Milsami clubman Eugen Sidorenco scored twice. The midfielder played the final 27 minutes of their defeat to Serbia on Thursday.

The Moldovans sit 161^st in the latest FIFA world rankings and are the sixth seeds in a group which contains three teams who played in the summer’s European Championships in France – illustrating the task that lies ahead of them.

This task is heightened even more so when you consider that they have conceded seven goals without replying in their two games to date.

17 of Moldova’s squad play their club football in their homeland, four of whom represent perennial national champions Sheriff Tiraspol.

They are captained by defender Alexandru Epureanu. The 30-year-old plays his domestic football with Turkish istanbul Basaksehir F.K. who finished fourth in last season’s Turkish Premier League. The Moldova ‘skipper reached a record 75^th cap for his country against Serbia.

Dobrovolskiy has been under serious pressure following Moldova’s poor start to the campaign. He and his players were booed off against Serbia and many had called for him to resign in the wake of that defeat.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Ireland’s captain Seamus Coleman scored his first international goal on their last outing against the Georgians in Dublin. Despite gaining the three points though, the Boys in Green were on the end of some very forceful media criticism for their first-half performance in particular.

Indeed, Georgia were arguably the better team in the opening 45 minutes of Thursday’s game. They hit the cross bar and spurned other great opportunities to punish a lacklustre Irish showing which thankfully improved after the interval.

Coleman’s goal was scrappy to say the least, however, James McClean and Robbie Brady, prior to his nasty head injury, had begun to get Ireland playing some better football although the lofted ball to Jonathan Walters seemed to be the option of choice for the Irish back-four in particular.

Jeff Hendrick brought a lot of energy to the Irish midfield with his dynamic box-to-box style of play evident throughout. He was undoubtedly Ireland’s most consistent performer at the Euros in the summer and he will surely be missed from Martin O’Neill’s side tonight having picked up cautions in both Group D matches to date.

Sunday’s opponents Moldova sit rooted to the bottom of the group having been on the receiving end of comprehensive beatings from Wales and Serbia in their two encounters so far. The Serbians, whom Ireland drew 1-1 with on night-one, inflicted a 3-0 loss on the Moldovans in Chisinau three days ago.

With Hendrick and Brady missing, the Irish management will be forced into making at least two changes to their starting XI with Wes Hoolahan being touted to make only his third competitive start away from home. It is also expected that Ireland’s ‘Mr. Reliable’ Glenn Whelan will feature in midfield on what would be the 32-year-old’s 76^th cap.

Victory over the hosts on Sunday is vital for the Boys in Green if they harbour realistic hopes of reaching Russia in 2018 with Austria and Wales to come in their next two qualifiers.

Referee: Jakob Kehlet (DEN)

MATCH STATS

This will be the first ever meeting between Moldova and the Republic of Ireland.

Moldova are 130 places below Ireland in the FIFA World Rankings.

Ireland striker Shane Long has gone almost 1100 minutes without scoring a goal.

MATCH BETTING

Moldova 10/1; Draw 7/2; Republic of Ireland 4/11.

PREDICTION

Moldova 1-2 Republic of Ireland

Moldova

Injured: Unknown

Doubtful: Unknown

Suspended: None

Republic of Ireland

Injured: Robbie Brady (concussion)

Doubtful: None

Suspended: Jeff Hendrick