Luxembourg 0-0 Ireland
Hello, and welcome to tonight’s liveblog.
Ireland may be 31 places above Luxembourg in the Fifa world rankings, however, it’s not expected to be an easy game.
The so-called minnows infamously beat Stephen Kenny’s Ireland in Dublin, and Sweden are among their more recent notable scalps.
Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side will be confident, however.
They are three matches unbeaten following back-to-back wins over Bulgaria and last week’s draw with Senegal in Dublin.
The Boys in Green were even a little unlucky not to beat the 19th-ranked team, as had VAR been in place, the visitors’ late equaliser would likely have been ruled out for offside.
Confirmation of the Ireland starting XI below, with full debuts for Max O’Leary and Killian Phillips…
STARTING XI | Luxembourg v Ireland
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) June 10, 2025
Heimir Hallgrímsson has made five changes for the friendly tonight as Killian Phillips makes his first start for Ireland 👌
Six years after his first call-up in May 2019, Max O'Leary makes his first appearance, congratulations Max 💚🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/ReSBpA9U1a
2 mins: Decent start for Luxembourg.
They win an early corner, but it’s cleared comfortably.
5 mins: Luxembourg have had plenty of possession and territory in these early stages.
Ireland have been going long frequently, but it’s been an ineffective tactic so far.
8 mins: McAteer delivers a hopeful cross into the area, but it evades Troy Parrott.
The visitors have yet to really click in the attacking third.
13 mins: Nervy moment for Max O’Leary.
The debutant drops a routine cross but gathers it on the second attempt.
Rodrigues receives the ball in plenty of space on the edge of the area, but his shot is well off target.
Luxembourg’s all-time leading goalscorer, of course, scored the winner when the two sides met in Dublin.
18 mins: Cruz receives the game’s first booking.
It’s deserved, as he cynically takes out Will Smallbone as the Southampton man bursts past him.
20 mins: An early tactical change for Ireland.
Phillips and Smallbone have swapped positions. The latter is now playing on the left.
Meanwhile, the visitors are also forced into an early substitution.
Robbie Brady has picked up a knock, with Ryan Manning — after his impressive outing last Friday at the Aviva — replacing him.
24 mins: Luxembourg continue to pose a considerable threat.
Jans’ inswinging cross narrowly misses the head of Rodrigues.
29 mins: More poor play from Ireland.
Ferguson gives it away needlessly. Sinani bursts forward, and his powerful shot from just outside the area is parried out for a corner by O’Leary.
31 mins: Per RTÉ, Luxembourg have had 61% possession so far.
It’s been a sub-par opening third to this game for Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men.
33 mins: Nervy moment for Jason Knight.
He goes down rather easily as Sinani robs him of possession, but fortunately for Ireland, the referee awards a free kick as the attacker is running through on goal.
35 mins: McAteer shows good defensive discipline to get back and make a tackle.
Dardari was bearing down on goal as Luxembourg counter-attacked menacingly.
37 mins: Rodrigues’ dangerous low cross is not met by anyone.
Luxembourg are controlling this game.
38 mins: Ireland have struggled to hold onto the ball in the attacking third.
Ferguson and Parrott have looked equally isolated and ineffectual.
43 mins: Ireland create their first real chance, and unsurprisingly, it’s from a set piece.
Smallbone delivers a free kick from deep, O’Shea nods it onto Collins, whose header hits the post.
HALF-TIME: LUXEMBOURG 0-0 IRELAND
So that’s the first half over.
It’s been disappointing from an Irish perspective.
Luxembourg have largely controlled the game and had a few decent chances.
Ireland’s one bright attacking moment was near the end of the half, as Collins’ header hit the post from Smallbone’s delivery.
Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side need to pick it up in the second half — otherwise, it’ll be a sense of stalled momentum after a couple of positive results.
One of the few positives from an Irish perspective has been O’Leary’s solid start…
A first major test for Max at international level and he's equal to it 👏
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) June 10, 2025
🇱🇺 0-0 🇮🇪pic.twitter.com/5R9mImeyxt
Here’s a look at that Collins chance…
This close to breaking the deadlock just before the break🤏pic.twitter.com/WZf0HyH325
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) June 10, 2025
47 mins: Bright start by Ireland.
McAteer makes a purposeful run forward before dragging a low shot from the edge of the area narrowly wide.
49 mins: Let-off for Ireland.
There’s a goalmouth scramble after a low cross causes problems. It eventually falls to Jans, whose goal-bound shot is deflected off Jason Knight and goes over the bar.
52 mins: Chance!
Manning puts in a good cross, but McAteer can’t hit the target with his header.
It then falls for Parrott, who can’t get a proper hold of it quickly enough, and his eventual effort is blocked.
The referee has blown up anyway, though it’s not clearly exactly what the infringement was.
54 mins: Ferguson gets booked for a cynical foul on Carlson.
Ireland have upped the tempo and been more adventurous in this second half, but it’s leaving them more exposed defensively.
57 mins: Two changes for Ireland.
Festy Ebosele and Jack Taylor are on, Phillips and Smallbone go off.
58 mins: Sinani gets booked for taking down McAteer.
The two get involved in a shoving match, Parrott joins in the argument and also receives a yellow.
61 mins: Dardari gets away from O’Brien. However, his shot is straight at O’Leary.
Luxembourg then make two changes. Vincent Thill and Pinto come on. Bonhert and Jans go off.
As I type, Ebosele sets up fellow substitute Taylor, who curls a first-time shot from the edge of the area narrowly wide.
64 mins: Thill is straight into the action.
O’Leary saves the attacker’s near-post shot, before Collins blocks Rodrigues’ follow-up on the rebound.
66 mins: Parrott has the ball in the net, but it’s correctly ruled offside.
It was still a nice clipped finish from the AZ Alkmaar star, after being slipped through by Taylor.
70 mins: More good build-up play from Luxembourg.
But it ends with Sinani’s tame shot being easily saved.
Down the other end, McAteer’s shot from a tight angle fails to unduly trouble Pereira Cardoso.
75 mins: Good ball by Collins to find Ebosele.
The winger’s cross is then headed away for a corner.
More Ireland changes.
Adam Idah and Matt Doherty replace Ferguson and McAteer, who have both struggled to stamp their influence on this game.
Here’s a look at that ruled-out Parrott goal…
65mins: 🇱🇺 LUX 0-0 🇮🇪 IRL
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) June 10, 2025
One off the post in the first-half by Collins and another chance off side in the second, this time from Parrott. A great finish but flag goes straight up for an obvious early run.
📺 @rte2 & @rteplayer
Follow a live blog 👇https://t.co/6BhBjNy0fS pic.twitter.com/2pY4dRLKNJ
82 mins: Luxembourg now make a change.
Rodrigues goes off to mild boos and is replaced by Veiga.
Half-chance for Ireland.
O’Brien’s long throw gets nodded on by O’Shea, but it falls awkwardly for Idah, who cannot find the target with his hooked shot.
86 mins: More Luxembourg pressure.
It ends with Thill’s shot, which is well off target.
87 mins: So close!
A powerful Taylor strike from the edge of the area is tipped onto the bar by Pereira Cardoso.
89 mins: 16-year-old Dortmund starlet de Pina Duarte dos Santos is one of two changes in for Luxembourg.
35-year-old Gerson also comes on, while Carlson and Moreira make way.
90 mins: Ireland also make another change.
John Patrick is on for his debut in place of Jason Knight.
92 mins: Thill has been lively since he came on.
He gets away from Doherty before flashing his shot from far out a few inches wide.
Sinani nearly finds Thill with his low cross, but Doherty gets back well to avert the danger.
That looks like it’ll be the final act of the game.
FULL-TIME: LUXEMBOURG 0-0 IRELAND
So that’s that.
Once again, Ireland can’t score against Luxembourg.
It’s a disappointing end to the international window after the relatively encouraging draw with Senegal on Friday.
A solid outing from Max O’Leary on his debut was one of the few positives.
In attack, Evan Ferguson and Troy Parrott were largely on the periphery of the game.
Ireland created a handful of half-chances in the second half after a dire opening period, but a defeat would have been harsh on Luxembourg, who looked the better side for long spells.
Here’s a look at that Parrott chance…
52mins: 🇱🇺 LUX 0-0 🇮🇪 IRL
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) June 10, 2025
Troy Parrott just can't find the finish from an awkward angle on the left post, brilliant ball in from Manning.
📺 @rte2 & @rteplayer
📱 Follow a live blog 👇https://t.co/6BhBjNy0fS pic.twitter.com/0RINR4e8JY
Right, that’s all from me.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
You can read our match report here and we’ll have more reaction to follow.
Hopefully some of the younger and fringe players get the chance to show what they are capable of.
We need to know before the Hungary game and this is the last opportunity to do so!! COYBIG
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: capable of very little let’s be honest. Very shallow pool of talent
COYBIG Best of luck lads.. never mind the Journal begrudgers ..
@Rian Smallbone: still hanging on. It’s good to have hope I suppose
Potential banana skin that needs an ap’pealing Win. sorry
I love football fans,I wish their energy enthusiasm and ground atmosphere could be brought to rugby..COYBIG
Ye are gas, every time ye do these liveblogs ye stop halfway through. lol
Why do they hold back the team selection so late? What purpose has it for a friendly game. Heard Philips say he knew he was playing the day before the Senegal match
@aidan prior: the team news been out for nearly an hour. The author of this article hasn’t bothered to do anything since opening this piece!
Shame we didn’t see more of JP , some nice touches in the brief cameo
This is a hard watch
@Gavin Delves: I’m gone to Garry Barlows wine ,that was just too painful ,maybe twas watching the games earlier in the week but it’s like we play a different sport …
@Gerry Campbell: I guess, now it’s time for you to give up.
@Setanta O’Toole: Debating that ..
Solid performance away from home!
@david.farrell33%mail.dcu.ie@gtempaccount.com: Luxembourg had 60% possession
This may be the worse game of football ever played.
@Gerard Lynch: certainly up there for sure…… instantly forgettable
@Buster Lawless: just grabbing a quick sconce at the England v Senegal friendly there—- a win for Senegal, bookies be happy anyways
Very poor display from what I see
4 unbeaten in a row …….bring it ON, we GOT this!!!! COYBIG
@Buster Lawless: Give it a rest Frank (Mary)
@Rian Smallbone: sure Mary (Brendan)
@Buster Lawless: Mary is coming soon to give you some company and the usual complimentary comments.. you won’t be all alone for long, so don’t fret.
@Buster Lawless: Now go actually watch the match instead of commenting on journal for a change Frank.. have a good evening now Mary..
Still nothing
@sean: well, we were going for the ‘ 4 unbeaten ‘ in a row statistic……I guess we got that but jesus that was a poor 90 minutes
@Buster Lawless: it was dog shite
Really hope the second half picks up they a need a spark from somewhere
I heard there were lads in induced comas around critical care high dependency units tonight who woke up to try and change the channel to get that Ronnie Whelan commentary out of their heads!
0-0 against Luxembourg….. that’s shocking.
I’m calling it now…..3- 1 Victory for us tonight, COYBIG
@Buster Lawless: how did that work out. Mary.
I remember the days a win against the likes of Luxembourg was a given , it was only a matter of how many goals , sadly not anymore.
@David craddock: you obviously don’t remember that they beat up 1-0 in the Aviva a few years ago
@Donal O’Brien: I was thinking a lot further back than a few years ago.
@David craddock: we’ve always struggled against the so called lesser teams, we haven’t hammered too many
@Donal O’Brien: you can put lipstick on a pig…