26th Jun 2016 | Euro 2016
End of the Road For Irish Scrappers
Every France and Republic of Ireland game so far has been 0-0 at the break. But the hosts should prevail over 90 minutes.
Despite tipping Ireland to beat Italy 1-0 a few days ago, we now have to consider that match as something of an outlier.
That prediction was based on the lack of necessity for Italy who were already confirmed as group winners and rested players accordingly. None of that applies here. France are hosts, favourites, and mean business as they enter the knockout phase.
However, as hosts, nerves come into play and Les Bleus have already struggled to breakdown limited opponents in this competition. They are yet to score a first half goal, indeed only one successful strike has come before the 89th minute.
With that in mind, best odds of 11/4 (Skybet) on Draw/France in the HT/FT market looks worth backing.
For their part, The Boys in Green are yet to concede or score in the first half of these championships.
But O’Neill has an ageing group, albeit a brave one. They struggled to maintain their level as the game went on against Belgium, and even Sweden, and it is likely to be a similar story here.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 10:13 26th Jun, 2016 but subject to change
