Eileen Gleeson has claimed that it is an "absolute privilege" to play the second leg of their Euro play-off final against Wales at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow. The first leg ended with Wales and Ireland tied 1-1 on aggregate, and they will now contest the decisive match at the iconic Dublin venue tomorrow.
If Ireland can beat Wales, they will reach their first-ever European Championships. The tournament is set to take place in Switzerland next year. With over 25,000 tickets sold, it promises to be a very special night for Irish football.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Monday, Gleeson admitted that while the team is focused on the task at hand, playing at Lansdowne Road is a significant honour.
"It's about focusing on the job at hand and what we need to do ourselves," Gleeson told RTÉ Sport on Monday. "It's an absolute privilege to be coming out at home with, as it stands, 25,000 tickets sold and people attending the game.
“It’s pressure on us; it’s a pressure situation. But it’s an absolute honour, and we will embrace all of our support, which I’m sure, as Katie said, will be loud and vocal. We look forward to that. Look, it’s an occasion. We have to manage the game and be respectful to Wales and their attributes."
𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴! 🇮🇪
Over 25,000 tickets are now sold for our UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Play-Off Final at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow! 👏
Get your tickets and be with us for a HUGE evening ☘️#COYGIG pic.twitter.com/oMXXaFt42O— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) December 2, 2024
Tomorrow's game could head to penalties, a scenario that Ireland has been preparing for. However, Ireland captain Katie McCabe believes the team should aim to create more clear-cut opportunities to avoid the need for penalties.
"We’ve been working on it, not just me," McCabe added. "We have players all over the pitch who can hit the target. It’s about getting up the pitch together and creating more chances.
"You saw Ruesha’s goal, which was obviously fantastic. We’ve looked at it as a team, not just me. Of course, I want to be getting up there, but we have threats all over the park. It’s about making sure we can all get into good positions."
Ireland's game against Wales in Dublin will kick off at 7:30 PM and can be seen on RTÉ2.
MATCH DETAILS
UEFA EURO 2025 Qualifying Play-Off
Round 2, Second Leg
Ireland v Cymru
Tuesday, December 3rd
Aviva Stadium
KO 19:30
LIVE on RTÉ2/RTÉ / RTÉ Player
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Marta Huerta De Aza (Spain)
Assistant Referee 1: Eliana Fernandez Gonzalez (Spain)
Assistant Referee 2: Iragartze Fernandez Esesumaga (Spain)
Fourth Official | Olatz Rivera Olmedo (Spain)
Video Assistant Referee | Guillermo Cuadra (Spain)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee | Valentin Gomez (Spain)
Ireland WNT Squad
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (London City Lionesses), Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic)
Defenders: Jessie Stapleton (Sunderland, on loan from West Ham United), Diane Caldwell (FC Zurich), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Caitlin Hayes (Celtic), Anna Patten (Aston Villa), Megan Campbell (London City Lionesses)
Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Carolina), Megan Connolly (Lazio), Lily Agg (Birmingham City), Tyler Toland (Blackburn Rovers), Ruesha Littlejohn (London City Lionesses), Heather Payne (Everton), Marissa Sheva (Portland Thorns), and Izzy Atkinson (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Kyra Carusa (San Diego Wave), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Julie-Ann Russell (Galway United)
