Good evening and welcome along as the Republic of Ireland get their Euro 2025 qualification campaign up and running against France.
It’s a tough challenge for Eileen Gleeson as they have France, England, and Sweden in their group. All three are in the top six of the Fifa world rankings. They have the guarantee of a play-off thanks to their Nations League campaign but that’s chat for another night.
This evening is about eeking out a result on French soil as Ireland prepare to take to the field in the Stade Saint-Symphorien in Metz. Kick-off is at 8.10pm, live coverage of the game is available on RTÉ 2 and we’ll be taking you through all the live updates as they happen.
Team news is coming up in just a few minutes.
STARTING XI | France v Ireland
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France: Pauline Peyraud-Magnin; Maelle Lakrar, Griedge Mbock Bathy, Eve Perisset, Sakina Karchaoui; Sandie Toletti, Kenza Dali; Grace Geyoro (capt), Kadidiatou Diani, Antoinette Katoto; Delphine Cascarino
Republic of Ireland: Courtney Brosnan; Anna Patten, Caitlin Hayes, Louise Quinn, Aoife Mannion; Heather Payne, Megan Connolly, Denise O’Sullivan, Katie McCabe (capt); Emily Murphy; Kyra Carusa
Before kick-off, have a read of this match preview by Gavin Cooney who is on the ground for us in Metz this evening.
Ireland insist they aren’t just making up the numbers but French test daunting nonetheless
How do you see this one going?
Poll Results:
Kick-off! France v Republic of Ireland
2 mins: France 0-0 Ireland
Hostile crowd in Metz as Courtney Brosnan takes a kick-out to the soundtrack of some French boos.
4 mins: France 0-0 Ireland
Heather Payne boots the ball out over the endline after getting in the way of a French cross. Taking no chances to see France get the first corner of the night.
Ireland deal with the cross in, but Delphine Cascarino gets on the ball and charges down the wing. Payne slides in with a crucial tackle to see the ball out for another coner.
GOAL! France 1-0 Ireland (Antoinette Katoto ’6)
9 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Well that’s not the start Ireland wanted. They concede from a set-piece after Payne conceded a free-kick which eventually found an unmarked Antoinette Katoto at the back post.
France are spending a lot of time in Irish territory in the opening 10 minutes.
10 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Caitlin Hayes attempts a long ball forward but it bounces safely into the hands of goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magni.
Louise Quinn holds up Katoto at the other end to put the ball out for a third France corner. Kenza Dali tries a header from the corner but it doesn’t do much to trouble Brosnan.
13 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Better from Ireland as they work their way into the France penalty area for the first time. Payne loses possession, but the ball comes out to Katie McCabe who opens up some space for herself to cut the ball across.
The ball eventually goes wide but it’s certainly Ireland’s best move of the night so far.
16 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
CLOSE!
Dali with a powerful volley from just inside the edge of the box but she doesn’t get the connection right and the ball fizzes over the bar.
France aren’t long getting the ball back, but Ireland manage to push them back out.
19 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
A break in play while Brosnan receives some treatment on the pitch. Elsewhere in this group, England have taken the lead against Sweden through Alessia Russo.
21 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Aoife Mannion wins possession back after intercepting a French pass over the top. But they lose the ball again. Sakina Karchaoui tries to take on Quinn but the Irish defender does enough to cut the ball away.
Denise O’Sullivan tries to put the ball through to Kyra Carusa but the flag goes up.
24 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
France come close again as Griedge Mbock gets her head on a corner but the effort goes wide of the post.
Denise O’Sullivan and Mannion combine well defensively to halt a France attack. Ireland under a lot of pressure as France just keep coming in waves.
27 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Great work from O’Sullivan to put pressure on France. The ball comes back to the goalkeeper who gets France moving by releasing Cascarino down the wing and the ball eventually goes out for a throw.
Moments later, a France cross comes to Katoto who is lurking again at the back post. But the move ends up being gathered by Brosnan.
30 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Karchaoui gets in front to cut out a pass from Quinn and Ireland will have to defend again. Mannion heads the ball away from a France cross at the other end.
Throw-in to France.
33 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
SAVE!
Sandie Toletti unleashes a powerful shot from distance and Brosnan rises just high enough to push it over the bar. Corner coming up
There were calls for a France penalty for an apparent pull-back by Mannion earlier, and replays of it would suggest Ireland are lucky the spot-kick wasn’t awarded.
36 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Ireland struggling to retain possession and conceding free-kicks under pressure. France looking a lot more comfortable on the ball.
39 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Hayes keeps up with Cascarino in a race for possession and manages to see it out for an Irish kick-out. The French boos are raining down again before a Brosnan kick-out, and the referee jogs in to scold her over taking too long with it.
42 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
MISS!
How are France not 2-0 up? Grace Geyoro, with the net at her mercy, somehow drags her shot wide after being fed by Katoto. Huge let-off for Ireland.
45 minutes: France 1-0 Ireland
Good move from Ireland to see out the half. McCabe gets it rolling with a pace through to Mannion in space.
But McCabe gets dispossessed and Megan Connolly fouls Cascarino who was charging through. Another edgy moment to get through before the safety of the dressing rooms for a break.
45 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Not a great effort by Dali and Brosnan takes the ball in easily. Two of the three added minutes have been played.
Half-Time! France 1-0 Ireland
France 1-0 Ireland
Yes, France are on the driving seat but Ireland can be very happy to see half-time just one behind. They’ve survived wave after wave of pressure with some brief moments of creative play.
They need to try and retain possession for longer and stop giving the ball away cheaply but they’ve done very well so far. That Katota goal is the only thing separating the sides.
Some highlights from the first half
The France goal that’s putting them ahead at half-time
6 min: France 1-0 Ireland - Ireland fail to deal with a free-kick and Antoinette Katoto nips in to score
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France 1-0 Ireland
Ireland change: Megan Campbell is on for Emily Murphy before the second-half starts
Second half: France 1-0 Ireland
France get us back underway again for the second half.
49 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Ireland doing a bit better to push France back, and a move eventually rolls towards Brosnan.
A foul on McCabe in Ireland’s half and there might be a chance to do something with this.
52 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
The ball is sent up towards McCabe who manages to hold up possession with three French players closing in to eventually win it back.
France move dangerously back up the pitch as Katoto snaps the ball across the Ireland penalty box but there’s no-one there to get on the end of it.
54 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Yellow card for Denise O’Sullivan for a late challenge on Dali. Free-kick now in a dangerous spot at the edge of the Ireland box.
56 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
That looked like it went over the bar after taking a deflection off Mannion’s head. But a kickout is awarded for Ireland.
58 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Update in the other game: England 1-1 Sweden.
62 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Payne looks like she needs treatment, and she will be coming off. Not sure what the issues is, she doesn’t seem to be limping.
Leanne Kiernan comes in to replace her. Amber Barrett on as well to replace Karusa.
66 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
SAVE!
Substitute Eugenie Le Sommer puts her whole head behind that powerful effort, and Brosnan acrobatics are required again to brush the ball over the crossbar.
67 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Eugenie Le Sommer bombards Ireland again as she cuts inside but her shot is blocked out for a corner.
A possible chance for Ireland now. A free-kick from a long way out could lead to something if Ireland can work something from it. Their first attacking set-piece.
71 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Barrett does well to push forward with the ball, but she runs out of road as she gets dispossessed. Now Barrett is down and needs treatment. Looks to be a muscular issue.
73 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
And Barrett needs to come off. Lucy Quinn is into the action.
74 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
More worry in the Ireland penalty area as Le Sommer continues to cause problems since she came on. Hayes clears the danger.
76 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
France have another corner but Brosnan leaps up to gather it. Ireland try to release Kiernan but she’s penalised for fouling while racing for possession. France are running the bench now with fresh legs for the final 10 minutes.
78 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Free called for a foul on Lucy Quinn who tried to head the ball forward and got a boot to the face. McCabe is going to float this one in.
79 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Nothing comes from the free but Ireland still have the ball, and Megan Campbell is winding up for one of her trademark long throws.
81 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Hayes gets to the ball but Ireland can’t make anything of the opportunity. France get a free down the other end, and now it’s there turn to put the press on the visitors.
84 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Yellow card for Campbell for taking too long with a throw-in. Ireland try to work it back to Brosnan to try and restart the play, but France are so ferocious with their press and they eventually win the ball back.
Ireland get a free as France roll in more subs.
85 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
McCabe doesn’t get enough air under that free-kick but Ireland have a throw-in on the other side. They just need to keep the play in the France half of the field and hope for a break.
Campbell throws the ball in again which finds Hayes, but there’s not enough power on the ball. France get going again.
87 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
IRELAND MISS!
Leanne Kiernan sends the ball wide, but if she had just taken a beat, she would have seen a completely unmarked Katie McCabe in the box. Huge chance gone/
89 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Ireland continue to deal with France pressure but they’ve committed a lot of players back so there’s no-one there to get on the ball when it’s sent clear.
One minute of normal time to go as Jessie Stapleton comes on for Aoife Mannion.
90 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
Five minutes of added time announced! Still plenty of time to sneak an equaliser. Ireland pushing forward now; they look like they’re really going for it.
91 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
SAVE!
Brosnan gets her body in front of a brilliant shot and Ireland are still in this.
93 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
It was Becho who had that chance after controlling the ball well to create space for herself. Break in play now as a France player requires treatment.
The referee will surely add the time on.
94 mins: France 1-0 Ireland
France star player Wendie Renard is heading off after getting a bang on the head. Ireland get the ball again, but they lose it and France come hurtling down the field. Brosnan is alert to control the ball. Her attempted kick-out gets blocked but France fail to capitalise.
Full-Time! France 1-0 Ireland
France 1-0 Ireland
A defeat on the scoreboard but that was very encouraging performance by Ireland. They opened up a lot more in the second half and took the French on with a more attack-minded approach. Antoinette Katoto’s goal in the sixth minute proved to be the difference in the end.
England and Sweden played out a draw in the other game tonight which bodes well for Ireland as they prepare to host the reigning European champions on Tuesday.
Lots of positives for Gleeson and her team to consider before then. Stay tuned for Gavin Cooney’s live match report, but for now, all the best and thanks for following our coverage this evening.
