Ireland know nothing a win will do when they take on Armenia at the Aviva Stadium tonight with their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.
The Eastern Europeans pulled off a famous and deserved 2-1 win they sides met last month in Yerevan, which was a hammer blow to Ireland's hopes of a first finals appearance since 2002.
Heimir Hallgrimsson's side followed that up by putting in their best performance of the campaign against Portugal on Saturday night with Caoimhin Kelleher saving a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, Ruben Neves headed home in the final minute to condemn the Boys in Green to another defeat and pile on the pressure before the visit of Armenia.
Can Ireland keep their hopes alive or will Armenia cause them more pain? AllSportsPeople brings you this betting preview complete with the latest tips and odds ahead of this huge clash.
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Ireland vs. Armenia preview: Can the Boys in Green keep their slim hopes alive?
Ireland came into this qualifying campaign with some hope following a decent run of results under Hallgrimsson.
However, they have now failed to win any of their last five games in all competitions with their last victory coming in March against a dire Bulgaria side.
Their three matches in qualifying before tonight have yielded just a single point courtesy of a 2-2 draw with Hungary. Their next match was the the loss in Yerevan - a low point in the national team's decline.
Following the green shoots of recovery against Portugal, a semblance of revenge should just be taken here against a very average Armenia side.
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Head-to-Head: Ireland vs. Armenia
- The two countries have met on five occasions with Ireland holding a 3-2 win advantage.
- As mentioned, Armenia won the last meeting 2-1 in Yerevan.
- Ireland have won the two games played in Dublin - a 2-1 win on the way to EURO 2012 and a 3-2 Nations League win in 2022.
Ireland vs. Armenia: Form Guide
Ireland – Last 5 Matches (All Competitions)
- Portugal 1-0 Ireland (World Cup qualifier)
- Armenia 2-1 Ireland (World Cup qualifier)
- Ireland 2-2 Hungary (World Cup qualifier)
- Luxembourg 0-0 Ireland (friendly)
- Ireland 1-1 Senegal (friendly)
Armenia – Last 5 Matches (All Competitions)
- Hungary 2-0 Armenia (World Cup qualifier)
- Armenia 2-1 Ireland (World Cup qualifier)
- Armenia 0-5 Portugal (World Cup qualifier)
- Montenegro 2-2 Armenia (friendly)
- Kosovo 5-2 Armenia (friendly)
Ireland vs. Armenia Score Prediction
Ireland are the bookmakers' favourites for a reason with Armenia not having won on the road in well over two years. Their only win both home and away in their last 12 games did come in the reverse fixture.
It's unlikely to be pretty but but the Boys in Green should just get over the line here to keep their playoff hopes alive. Should Portugal take care of Hungary and Ireland take three points, it might be enough to move them from 4th to 2nd in Group F.
Prediction: Ireland 1-0 Armenia (11/2 with Sky Bet)
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Ireland vs. Armenia Team News
Ireland Team News
- Festy Ebosele came off injured in Portugal and could miss out here. Mikey Johnston is likely to take his place on the left of a front three.
- Josh Cullen is definitely out through suspension, with Will Smallbone set to start in midfield.
- Troy Parrott could replace Evan Ferguson up front, with the AZ Alkmaar in flying club form prior to a recent knee injury.
Armenia Team News
- Armenia are likely to be unchanged from the side that lost 2-0 to Hungary.
- Eduard Spertsyan opened the scoring in the reverse fixture last month and will be looking to cause Ireland more trouble in Dublin.
Ireland vs. Armenia Predicted Lineups
This is how we think these two sides will lineup on Tuesday night with Troy Parrott starting up front. We think Will Smallbone will win the race with Jack Taylor to replace Josh Cullen, suspended for the match due to an accumulation of bookings.
Ireland predicted lineup to play Armenia
(3-4-3) Kelleher (GK) — O'Brien, Collins, O'Shea — Coleman, Smallbone, Molumby, Manning — Ogbene, Johnston, Parrott
Armenia predicted lineup to play Ireland
(3-4-3) Avagyan (GK) — Muradyan, Harutyunyan, Piloyan — Hovhannisyan, Iwu, Spertsyan, Tiknizyan — Serobyan, Barseghyan, Zelarayan
Ireland vs. Armenia Betting Odds
- Ireland to Win: 9/20 Bet365
- Armenia to Win: 7/1 Paddy Power
- Draw: 7/2 AK Bets
Bet Builder Tips: Ireland vs. Armenia
Our bet builder for this one is Ireland to win to nil, under 1.5 goals and there to be over 10 corners. This comes to overall best odds of 21.81/1 with Paddy Power. You can build your own bet builder and compare the best bookmaker prices using the tool below.
How to watch Ireland vs. Armenia: Live stream, TV channel
Here's all the key information on how to watch Ireland vs. Armenia tonight.
- Date: Tuesday, October 14
- Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
- Time: 7:45 p.m.
- TV/Stream: Amazon Prime