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The Republic of Ireland side that comes to Viola Park on Friday is one of the European teams that has grown the most in the last 5 years: gaining 9 places in the FIFA Ranking (from 33rd to 24th, after being in their best-ever position briefly at the start of 2022, 22nd), they reached the final round of a major tournament for the first time in their history (the World Cup 2023, no Euros participation) after finishing 2nd in the group stage behind Sweden but ahead of Finland. They finished the latest round of the Nations League with the maximum points tally, winning promotion to League A.

Managed until the 2023 World Cup by the Dutch Vera Pauw, and then by the Irish Eileen Gleeson who was Pauw’s assistant from, 2019 to 2021, the Republic of Ireland comes off the back of a brilliant Nations League campaign: 6 wins in 6 games in Group A of League B with Albania, Northern Ireland, and Hungary, they finished top and won promotion to League A for the 2025 tournament. They had a total of 20 goals (3.34 on average), and only 2 conceded (0.34 on average), 66 shots (41/25). Stars of the side include Courtney Brosnan between the sticks, experts Megan Connelly, Denise O’Sullivan, and Tyler Toland in the midfield, and the up-and-coming Isibel Atkinsons (6 appearances and 2 goals). Ahead of them, the 28-year-old star strikers Kyra Carusa and Katie McCabe who scored 5 goals a piece.

The squad is made up of a great number of players from the big sides of the FA Women’s Super League, the English top flight, specifically, 8 are called up for this game (playing at Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, West Ham), as well as the Women’s Championship, the second division, with 123 players called up (playing at Birmingham City, Bristol City, Cristal Palace, Lewes, London City, Reading). The squad also has 3 players employed outside of Great Britain: Kira Carusa from San Diego Wawe, in the NWSL in the USA, Diane Caldwell from FC Zürich, and Amber Barrett from Standard Liège.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS – Seven games between 2005 and 2019: Italy are unbeaten (6 wins and 1 draw, 16/5 the goals). The only draw came in the Cyprus Cup in 2016 (1-1). The heaviest wins are two 4-1s: in 2007 in Silves, Portugal (Algarve Cup), with the first Azzurre goal for Sara Gama in her fifth game for the side, a number that has reached 139 after 16 years. The other 4-1 came the following year, in Villacidro in February 2008 in a qualifier for the 2009 Euros in Finland. Top-scorers from the clash were Patrizia Panico (5 goals), followed by Silvia Fuselli (3).