Losing at home and playing again on the road was a challenge. Who would have thought that at the critical moment, nine international players, many of whom were deservedly the mainstay of both the club and the national team, would run away. In the face of such a predicament, even the improvised coaching team was at their wits' end. If the list had been correct, it might have been possible to avoid misinformation and injury. What can you do?
Most of the starting roster is not traditional starters, such as center Watkins and back Curtis Jones, while a handful of starters, such as Bellingham and Pickford, remain in the mix.
However, a miracle happened and the team surprisingly regained the initiative to fight for the A-class qualification with a big win. Only a narrow victory over Ireland in the final round is needed to return to the A-League.
Ireland, England vs.
Nature of the match: UEFA Europa League B Group B Final Round
Game Time: November 18: 00
In the first five rounds of the 2024-25 season in Group B, England and Greece both have 12 points, six ahead of third-place Ireland, while Finland is at the bottom of the table with zero points after losing five consecutive rounds of matches.
With their excellent record, England only need to win one game to seal first place in the group. Greece, on the other hand, will be looking to England to beat Finland away and Ireland at home in the final round if they are to make a comeback.
For Ireland, a win or loss does not affect the final standings and third place in the group is no longer in doubt.
In the last 10 matches in England, the team has won 5, drawn 3 and lost 2.
In their last 10 games in Ireland, the record is 3 wins, 2 draws and 5 losses.
The two sides have met four times in the past, with England holding a slight advantage with two wins and two draws. The first three matches were friendlies, while the last one was the first round of this year's UEFA Europa League, in which England drew 0:0 away to Ireland.
In such a situation, the "European Chinese Team" will certainly give their best and a big win is expected.
