Emma Duffy Reports from Belgium

WITH TENUOUS CONNECTIONS to both Ireland managers, Belgium boss Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir is now looking to inflict revenge on Carla Ward’s side.

In Gunnarsdóttir’s own words, Ireland “outplayed” the higher-ranked Euro 2025 contestants at Aviva Stadium on Friday, and now lead their Nations League promotion/relegation playoff 4-2.

“Two goals are really, really possible,” the Icelander warned ahead of tonight’s second leg in Leuven [KO 7.30pm Irish time, live on RTÉ2].

Gunnarsdóttir was once a protégé of Heimir Hallgrímsson in her homeland.

“When I was 25, Heimir was coaching a women’s team on an island outside Iceland. He approached me to take over after him, and I did,” she explains.

“He asked me to take over his team. That is how we met each other for the first time. I know him well.”

That ÍBV job in 2002 was Gunnarsdóttir’s first in management, the 49-year-old later taking charge of Valur before becoming Iceland assistant boss and overseeing the nation’s U21s.

The club circuit called again thereafter, and she spent 15 years at the helm of Swedish side, Kristianstads DFF. (Hallgrímsson later returned to ÍBV, and hasn’t been in touch across the double header: “We’re not close friends having contact about everything.”)

In another interesting link, Gunnarsdóttir was considered as Ward’s successor at Aston Villa when she stepped down in 2024.

“I was a little bit in that picture, yes,” she confirms.

Having both taken their first international management jobs in January, Gunnarsdóttir and Ward have become well acquainted in recent days.

“I’ve followed the WSL a lot and seen many games with Carla Ward’s Aston Villa and been impressed with a lot of things that she has done.

“I told her directly after the game that the game plan was really smart. (Ireland) surprised us with a lot of things. I’ve not seen her play this system ever in the way that she did [fluid 5-3-2].

Katie McCabe and Kyra Carusa celebrate Ireland's opener as Belgian players look on. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

“Yeah, they did outplay us. There’s nothing else to say about it. Like I said to her, I think it’s one of the best performances I’ve seen Ireland show. That was really, really impressive.”

And Belgium? “We had a collective off day, but there are always two aspects of a game like that. You have two teams on the field, so it’s not only about your own performance, it’s also about the opponents and Ireland really showed up from minute one with aggressiveness and a game of duels that showed more will than we had in our team.”

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Gunnarsdóttir, like Ward, expects “a completely different game” at Den Dreef Stadium to decide who plays in League A and guarantees a seeded playoff for the 2027 World Cup. Extra time and penalties will apply if necessary.

With 6ft Crystal Palace midfielder Justine Vanhaevermaet and Hoffenheim forward Jill Janssens returning from suspension, the Red Flames already appear stronger for round two.

“For us, our focus will be on performing from minute one, not talking too much about the emergency scenarios that have to occur. We need to show up as a team and perform from minute one, and show reactions to what we did on Friday. That’s the most important thing.

“And if you do that through 90 minutes, you have a good option to get into a game like this. I think the second goal we scored in Ireland is crucial for us. It would have been a little bit of a different mountain to climb. Two goals are really, really possible.”