Republic of Ireland vs Portugal Odds & Prediction – UEFA World Cup Qualifying Group Stage Matchday 9

• Cristiano Ronaldo’s side can top Group A with a draw or win in Dublin at 2:45 pm ET on Thursday
• Irish led in Portugal in September until late heroics from Manchester United’s superstar
• See the odds and best bets for the Republic of Ireland vs Portugal in the UEFA World Cup Qualifying Matchday 9 below

Portugal can claim top place in Europe’s World Cup qualifying Group A with a win against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Thursday.

The Irish, however, have little to play for after just one win so far in this section.

Republic of Ireland vs Portugal Odds

Odds as of November 10 at DraftKings

Of course, pride will play a part in motivating Stephen Kenny’s Ireland team – in particular after it came so close to winning before it was dramatically defeated by Portugal in Faro in September.

Ireland led 1-0 thanks to a 45th-minute goal from Stephen Egan.

Ronaldo’s Stunning Late Double

However, superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently announced he’s having twins, then got to work and scored in the 89th minute and again in the sixth minute of added time to hand Portugal a 2-1 win.

That cruel defeat will surely motivate Ireland this time around.

Furthermore, coach Kenny requires a much-needed boost to his popularity after an indifferent reign, with the chances of qualifying for the finals in Qatar now vanished.

Accordingly, given the two teams’ relative records in the group, the oddsmakers at DraftKings make Portugal a big favorite for a win with kick-off at 2:45 pm ET.  A draw would also see them take top spot.

Ronaldo’s side is priced at -285 for an away victory with the Irish huge outsiders at +800. The draw, meanwhile, is +425.

The Irish home record is good with only two defeats in the last 14

In the search for value here, that is certainly a good price for the draw given that the Irish will be buoyed by the fact they led for so long in the earlier fixture. Moreover, their self-respect is at stake, too.

The Irish home record is, additionally, very good with only two defeats in the last 14 under-lining their ability to be stubborn, at least on their own patch.

Alternatively, the prop offer for Ronaldo to score first is attractive at +180. He has six goals in this qualifying tournament so far.

Furthermore, his two strikes against Ireland in September made him the leading all-time international goal scorer with a tally of 115 in 182 appearances for his country.

Target of 800 Career Goals

He is also just two short of reaching a career total of 800 goals so his familiar hunger for finding the back of the net will certainly have an extra sharpness in the Irish capital this week.

Meanwhile, he has hit nine goals for Manchester United since his return to the Premier League club from Juventus last August.

Republic of Ireland vs Portugal Stats

Presently, Portugal’s star-studded team is in second place in the section with 16 points after six fixtures.

Serbia leads with 17 points but has completed one more fixture. So it does not play in this round of games.

This significantly offers the Portuguese an opportunity to leapfrog into the first position.

Portugal Showdown with Serbia on Sunday

Then, subsequently, a showdown final fixture between Portugal and Serbia awaits in Lisbon on Sunday.

Undefeated Portugal has an impressive record in this group.

https://youtu.be/fQu32EAQ7Yk

It has won five qualifying games and also drawn once while scoring 14 times and conceding only four goals.

The only points dropped came in a 2-2 against Serbia in Belgrade last March. However, that was, in fact, a well-won point on the road against tough opposition.

Despite its poor World Cup record this time around, the Irish side is presently enjoying a four-match unbeaten run.

Another day and another milestone approaches for Cristiano Ronaldo, who is just two goals away from taking his career tally to 800. The Portugal captain could hit the landmark against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday.https://t.co/DvHx7gosfg

— AS USA (@English_AS) November 10, 2021

That has arrived following a depressing run of just one win 15 games previously for coach Kenny.

The current unbeaten run includes a 4-0 friendly win against Qatar and, markedly, a 3-0 away defeat of World Cup minnows Azerbaijan.

The away win in Azerbaijan is Ireland’s only victory in this group.

There was additionally an impressive 1-1 draw at home against Serbia – which emphasizes the belief that the team may also be able to frustrate the Portuguese.

That followed a 1-1 draw at home against Azerbaijan.

Ireland have the unique scenario of lots of gain with little to lose as Portugal come to Dublin tomorrow night https://t.co/gHn05almen #rtesoccer

— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) November 10, 2021

Meanwhile, the away win in Azerbaijan is Ireland’s only victory in this group.

Embarrassingly, it lost 1-0 at home against the tiny nation of Luxembourg last March – piling pressure on coach Kenny.

Before Portugal’s win in Faro in September, the previous meeting between these sides was in 2014 when Portugal was a 5-1 winner in a friendly.

🗣️ "He's probably one of, if not the only, player in world football that could have scored those two goals."

Josh Cullen is determined that the ending will be different this time when the Republic of Ireland look to stop Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 9, 2021

That was following a 1-0 win for Ireland in a friendly in 2005.

And in conclusion ahead of Thursday’s game, Portugal has huge motivation to go all-out for a win. But there is some chance that the Irish could hold them and the attractive odds on that happening make it worth looking at.

Pick: Draw +425