Eileen Gleeson: ‘Sing along with the anthem’ ahead of Aviva clash

After falling to a 1-0 defeat against France in Metz on Friday, the Republic of Ireland will continue their EURO2025 qualification campaign at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. They’ll welcome England’s Lionesses to the capital on Tuesday, with kickoff scheduled for 19:30 BST.

Speaking ahead of the match, Eileen Gleeson called for fans to create a raucous atmosphere at Lansdowne Road. ‘We’re hoping it’ll be nice and loud,’ she expressed, urging fans to ‘sing along with the anthem with us.’

‘I don’t know if you could hear the stadium the other night in Metz but it was absolutely phenomenal, the whole stadium singing [La Marseillaise].’

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The FAI confirmed that more than 30,000 tickets have been sold for Tuesday’s fixture, which will come as the first time the two sides have faced off in a competitive fixture since 1986. Gleeson assured reporters that she does not expect England to drastically change their setup, having been held to a 1-1 draw with Sweden on Friday.

‘[There were] not really any surprises. We know England and, over certainly their Nations League campaign, they’re a team that dominates possession within the range of 60 to 70% against opposition – Austria, Italy, Sweden, Scotland. It was the same the other night,’ Gleeson explained.

The Girls in Green have plenty to do if they’re to pick up the first points of their EURO2025 qualifying campaign on Tuesday, after mustering just one shot on target against les Bleues last week.

Eileen Gleeson: ‘Sing along with the anthem’ ahead of Aviva clash –