Ireland defender insists job isn’t finished against Belgium despite resounding first leg win

27th October 2025 Oliver Taliku

Republic of Ireland defender Aoife Mannion has insisted there is still work to do for her nation against Belgium.

Ireland beat Belgium 4-2 in their first leg playoff in the Nations League.

High hopes for Ireland in playoff

Although they were more convincing than ever against Belgium in the Nations League, their win still means nothing.

Ireland play in the second leg of their promotion playoff on Tuesday night as they look to rise into League A of the Nations League.

The Girls in Green carry a two goal lead with them into the second game, but nobody on the team is taking Belgium lightly.

“The biggest challenge when things are over two legs and you’re going in with the lead is complacency,” warned Aoife Mannion.

“It’s also easier to be chasing something than defending. Belgium have a free hit now. They have that easy mentality that they know they have to go after the game, so they’ll be bringing all the energy, and we need to match that.”

Mannion played the full 90 against Belgium in their first meeting and impressed on the right of Ireland’s back line.

“I think if you’d said going in that we’d have a two-goal lead, that puts us in a good spot. But as with anything, you can get complacent, and it can all slip away. Sometimes, it’s probably harder, in a sense, to know that you do have that buffer, because you can take your foot off the pedal.” Mannion continued.

“We have to be really at it and make sure that we see and get the job done.”

The Ireland defence will need to stand strong against a more hungry Belgian attack in their next game, but it would be a surprise to see the Red Devils come back from two goals down.

What next for Ireland?

If Ireland can win against Belgium on Tuesday night, they will be promoted to League A of the Nations League.

Although there is a slim chance of them beating the bigger nations to a playoff spot, competing in the top league could earn Ireland a spot at the Brazil World Cup in 2027.

The top four teams from League A automatically qualify for the tournament.

There is still hope for those who don’t make it to the top of their league through the traditional qualifiers.

The draw for next year’s Nations League groups takes place on November 4th, with Ireland hoping to be amongst the best in the world in the pot.

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About Oliver Taliku 315 Articles
Olly Taliku has worked with highly respected sports and gambling websites where he has produced hundreds of articles, as well as being published with Burton Albion and Chesterfield FC. At Burton Olly worked closely alongside the women's team, producing mainly matchday content including reports and interviews. He also has experience as an accredited Premier League and EFL writer for Prost International where he worked during the 2021/22 season to produce matchday content as an on location reporter. Olly specialises in women's football as well as long form SEO content plus news and tips. While he enjoys writing about all football, Olly supports Arsenal passionately as a lifelong fan of the club.