STEPHEN KENNY'S Republic of Ireland reign got a much-needed shot in the arm with a Dublin demolition of Scotland but they now face a tougher Nations League clash against group leaders Ukraine.
The heat was back on Kenny at the weekend after the Irish had started their UEFA Nations League campaign with successive defeats to Armenia and the Ukrainians.
Scotland were slight favourites to pile on the pain at the Aviva but the Republic of Ireland blew them away and fully merited a 3-0 victory that could have been even more comprehensive.
I expected that clash to be far more tight but Ireland's dominant display ruined a few of my bets, although Shane Duffy salvaged something for me by picking up a booking.
That victory kept the Republic's hopes of topping this group alive but you get the impression they will need to win away from home against Ukraine to have a chance of catching Oleksandr Petrakov's men.
The Ukrainians have responded well to the blow of losing the World Cup play-off final to Wales, chalking up successive wins to nil against the Irish and Armenia.
They look like the most accomplished team in the group and were far too strong for Armenia on Saturday, despite being forced to play their ‘home' game in Poland due to the ongoing conflict back home.
Ukraine managed to beat Ireland in Dublin despite resting some star players and will be confident of repeating the trick in Lodz to continue their perfect start to the group.
How the bookies view it
That impressive Irish display at the weekend hasn't cut much ice with the bookies as the Republic are 41/10 outsiders at SBK. Ukraine's best price is 17/20 with Bet365 while the draw pays 13/5 at Unibet.
Head to head
That clash in Dublin a week ago was the first ever meeting between these nations. Ukraine came out on top thanks to a goal from Viktor Tsygankov (below).
Players to watch
Both managers will probably make changes with such a short gap between games. Artem Dovbyk came off the bench for Ukraine late on against Armenia so stands a good chance of starting up front for this one. He scored the clincher against Scotland at Hampden and is 21/10 with Bet365 for anytime scorer.
Michael Obafemi scored a screamer against Scotland on Saturday but had to go off with a groin injury and is a doubt for this one. Troy Parrot also netted a classy goal in that match and the youngster is 9/2 with Bet365 for another here.
Anything else catch the eye?
The Republic of Ireland's attacking verve on Saturday came as a surprise after drawing two successive blanks. But Ukraine have been free-scoring all season, with that loss to Wales the only time they have drawn a blank in their last 11 outings.
It took the Ukrainians a while to get going on Saturday as Armenia defended deep but I fancy them for a few goals here and over 1.5 strikes for the home side pays 6/5 with Bet365.
We saw 10 corners when these sides faced off in Dublin and there were 15 when Ireland locked horns with Scotland at the weekend. That makes betting on over 9.5 corners a decent option here at 21/20 with McBookie.
I'd expect Ukraine to have most of the pressure and that makes the Republic of Ireland a decent bet to pick up most cards. It pays 20/21 with McBookie.
This UEFA Nations League match between Ukraine and Republic of Ireland will be played on Jun 14, 2022 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Ukraine vs Republic of Ireland prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
