The Republic of Ireland host Austria at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Thursday evening, with kick-off at 7.45pm in a UEFA Nations League, League B, Group 3 fixture. It is Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side’s third game of the campaign and their only home match of this international window, played against a backdrop of security concerns and a divisive build-up over Ireland’s fixtures with Israel.
A congested and tense international window
The Austria game sits between Ireland’s two meetings with Israel, fixtures that have stirred a feisty undercurrent ahead of Thursday night's Nations League clash at the Aviva. Ireland won the first of those games 3-0 in Hungary last Sunday, a result overshadowed by a symbolic protest staged by the players before the Israel game and goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu’s decision to withdraw from the squad entirely.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Hallgrímsson pushed back on some of the commentary around the episode, saying "Gavin is a great lad" while insisting there had been «a lot of lies» told about his squad during the turmoil.
Group 3: Austria clear, Ireland chasing
In the table itself, after two games in the campaign, Ireland sits in third place with three points. Austria leads the group with six points, while Kosovo occupies second place on three points with a superior head-to-head record over Ireland. Israel rounds out the group in fourth place with zero points. The stakes for the rest of the campaign are considerable, as the group winner earns direct promotion to League A, while the second-place finisher enters a promotion playoff, with the bottom side facing a relegation playoff.
Both of Ireland’s opening fixtures were played away from home, against Kosovo and then Israel, meaning Thursday is effectively a first proper home test of the campaign. For more on how other sides in the competition have fared this window, England’s own Nations League opener showed how quickly form can shift in League B and League A alike.
Austria’s firepower under Rangnick
Austria arrive in excellent form. Austria presents a formidable challenge under manager Ralf Rangnick, featuring players such as Bayern Munich’s Konrad Laimer and Borussia Dortmund’s Carney Chukwuemeka, and Austria enters this match in excellent form, having scored an impressive six goals across their two Nations League victories.
Ireland, though, can point to their own recent record at the Aviva. Despite Austria's formidable roster and six-point standing, Ireland enters the match holding an unbeaten streak of seven games at home, a run Hallgrímsson will be keen to protect against the group’s pace-setters.
Bazunu back for Austria, out again for Israel
Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu is set to feature after rejoining the Ireland squad on Monday night ahead of Thursday's Nations League clash against Austria. He had opted out of the win over Israel in Debrecen, with Hallgrímsson confirming afterwards that Bazunu remains part of the squad ahead of Thursday's home encounter in Dublin against Austria, but will not participate in the reverse fixture against Israel, due to be played behind closed doors in Serbia.
The manager also singled out midfielder Finn Azaz for praise over how he handled the row, while confirming his side would fulfil both Israel fixtures as instructed by the FAI.
Protests, security and how to follow it
Off the pitch, the build-up has been dominated by security planning. The FAI has moved hundreds of fans with pitchside seats for the game against Austria to elsewhere in the Aviva Stadium amid concerns the game will be interrupted by protests, with the association stating the switch forms part of preparations for Euro 2028 while also acknowledging it will make it easier to police any attempted incursions on to the pitch.
The «Stop The Game» movement has been pushing for a boycott of the Israel fixtures, and with the Austria match the only home game to be played on home soil during this window, organisers see it as a key moment for fans to make themselves heard. Supporters heading to Lansdowne Road should also note that the Lansdowne Road Dart Station will close temporarily on Thursday starting at 3:30 pm and remain shut until the end of service. Adult tickets were still available for purchase through Ticketmaster, with adult prices ranging from €90 to €100 as of Thursday morning.
For those watching from home, coverage is back to normal after the stripped down broadcast from the Israel match, with RTÉ2’s build-up beginning at 7pm ahead of the 7.45pm kick-off.