Gibraltar v Republic of Ireland: Brady to the fore in modest win for O'Neill's men

Gibraltar v Republic of Ireland
Friday, 19:45
Live on Sky Sports 1

Match Odds
Gibraltar 60.00 Ireland 1.04 Draw 34.00

Martin O'Neill is on a hiding to nothing as he brings his team to Faro for a showdown with Gibraltar on Friday. The odds reflect the reality of this game; Ireland will win it unless they endure the most catastrophic 90 minutes in the country's football history. And, in truth, it's unlikely that O'Neill will win too much praise even if the minnows are swatted aside by a huge scoreline.

Realistically, the mood around this game will be dictated by events in Tbilisi in the hours beforehand. If Scotland drop points against Georgia then the pain from taking just one point from two games with Gordon Strachan's side will heal and Ireland will suddenly be right back in the qualification hunt. It will certainly lift the noise levels among the travelling support.

With no value to be found in punting on the outcome, the betting angles in this game will be shaped by opinions on how many goals Ireland will score and who will score them. The Dublin leg ended in a comfortable 7-0 win for the hosts, a more comprehensive drubbing than Irish teams tend to hand out to group minnows. O'Neill has been at pains to point out that the newcomers have improved since then and managed to keep Germany scoreless for 30 minutes. They have changed manager too, with ex-Norwich goalkeeping coach Jeff Wood now at the helm, which might focus the minds. So where is the value?

Over/Under 4.5 Goals Betfair Sportsbook

Ireland don't exactly have an abundance of players in flying form and, with the visit of Georgia on Monday in mind, O'Neill may view this encounter as an opportunity to build the fitness of those individuals who are out of favour with their clubs. If there's an element of rustiness then they might find it difficult in the warm conditions to really tear apart a Gibraltar side that have conceded a total of 34 goals in their six games - 11 more than any other nation.

They have taken two 7-0 beatings in their rented base in Faro but they might just be capable of escaping with less damage from this particular encounter; Under 4.5 Goals at 7/5 on Sportsbook is worth a few quid. However, Ireland do have a reasonable record of striking early in this type of game so it's worth exploring the markets for a goal inside the first 15 minutes and punting on Over 1.5 goals in the first half for a bit of insurance.

To Score

There should be a Robbie or two on the scoresheet here. Robbie Keane should start and given that he's desperate to add his incredible international haul of 65 goals and arrives off the back of a prolific stint in the MLS, it would be a surprise if he didn't find the target here. One expects the skipper will be backed accordingly.

Robbie Brady will start at leftback but he's the play in the 'To Score' market. With Ireland sure to enjoy plenty of time on the ball, he will be able to rove forward into promising shooting positions. The Norwich recruit is also O'Neill's go-to-guy for set pieces and he demonstrated his prowess when given enough space by scoring twice in a friendly with the USA last November. He is the one to watch in all the goal markets.

Recommended Bets 
Back Under 4.5 Goals @ 7/5 on the Betfair Sportsbook
Back Robbie Brady to score @ [13/10] on the Betfair Sportsbook