Pro-Palestine protests halt match as Ireland surrender 2-0 lead in 2-2 Nations League draw with Austria

The Republic of Ireland and Austria played out a 2-2 Nations League draw at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on 1 October 2026 after the fixture was twice interrupted by pro-Palestine protests.

Play was halted twice in the first half despite a significant security presence; around the 20th minute tennis balls wrapped in stickers showing the Palestinian flag and the text "#StopTheGame" were thrown onto the pitch, and Stop the Game later described the incident as a "limited tennis ball protest". Around the 35th minute a man ran onto the field carrying what appeared to be a Palestinian flag and was immediately tackled by security and removed. The match came amid a fractious week for the Republic, with two Nations League fixtures against Israel dividing opinion and a pre-match protest held outside the stadium.

Heimir Hallgrímsson made three changes to his side for the encounter, reintroducing Finn Azaz to the lineup; Azaz received a warm reception when his name was announced over the PA before kick-off. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, who had made himself unavailable for the Ireland matches against Israel, was back in the squad, while Liam Scales and John Egan were handed starting berths.

An audacious early attempt from Sasa Kalajdzic saw him try a midfield lob at Caoimhín Kelleher before Ireland enjoyed periods of pressure in the visitors’ half. The Real Betis striker Troy Parrott opened the scoring in the 12th minute after bringing down Adam Idah’s glanced-on header from a goal kick, nutmegging Philipp Lienhart and finishing past Florian Wiegele into the bottom corner.

Play was briefly stopped to clear the tennis balls, a pause both teams used for a hydration break, and the second interruption occurred shortly before half-time. Ryan Manning won a penalty after being clipped in the box by Nicolas Seiwald; Parrott stepped up following a video assistant referee check and converted the spot-kick on the stroke of half-time to put Ireland 2-0 up.

Austria reduced the deficit after Liam Kitching was outmuscled, which allowed Alexander Prass to run unmarked and blast past Kelleher in the 71st minute; an offside flag was initially raised but overturned by VAR. Michael Gregoritsch drew Austria level six minutes later when the Brentford keeper failed to stop his shot, the Augsburg forward finding the corner as the goalkeeper guessed the wrong way. Dara O’Shea was later denied by a leaping Wiegele, Gregoritsch headed over at another opportunity, and both sides repelled late attempts at a winner.

A victory would have allowed Hallgrímsson’s side to top Group B3, but after the draw they sit third at the halfway point of the group stage behind Austria and Kosovo. The Republic’s behind-closed-doors "home" game against Israel in Backa Topola, Serbia, is scheduled for Sunday, and the manager Heimir Hallgrímsson on Wednesday confirmed it was their intention to play.