2018 World Cup play-off second leg: Republic of Ireland v Denmark (tonight, Aviva Stadium. 7.45pm, first leg 0-0)
From Brendan Crossan in Abbotstown
IT promises to be a night of unbearable tension in the capital - an occasion to be watched through clasped hands and with hearts in mouths.
The prize couldn’t be any bigger than a place at next summer’s World Cup finals in Russia.
The Republic of Ireland and Denmark are both one fateful step away from the abyss and another from football heaven.
But you wouldn’t have thought so judging by Martin O’Neill’s jocular meeting with the media in Abbotstown yesterday afternoon.
From the top table, the Kilrea man joked with Stan Collymore – a player he managed during their Leicester City days together - who was among the many members of the media that descended on the Irish training camp.
Both O’Neill and Collymore reminisced about the day the striker scored a hat-trick for Leicester against Sunderland while Collymore replied: “You should have taken me to Celtic with you.”
“You taught me a lot, Stan,” O’Neill roguishly replied. “Some of which is unrepeatable.”
Their chat lightened the mood considerably before O’Neill re-iterated the belief that his side may need to score two goals in tonight’s return leg in Dublin following last Saturday night’s goalless draw in Copenhagen.
“I think we have to score a couple of goals,” O’Neill predicted.
“I really think that is the case. I think holding Denmark out for two matches is going to be very difficult. We have to bear that in mind.”
David Meyler, available again after a one-match suspension, is likely to be recalled to the Republic’s starting line, with Callum O’Dowda possibly making way.
Southampton's Shane Long is expected to take over from Daryl Murphy in attack.
“I think we will try to be that bit more expansive [than the first leg] if we can and deal with the ball a wee bit better," added the manager.
“We are going to try to win the game and will try to find a way to win it. These players have been able to do that in the last couple of years.”
Last Saturday night’s first leg clash was a game of few clear-cut chances and there is sizeable contingent of the media that feel the home crowd could be in for a long night – possibly extra-time and penalties.
The Ireland manager confirmed his players were practising spot-kicks in training ahead of tonight’s make-or-break play-off clash.
“You try to cover all eventualities but it only needs a second to score a goal,” the Ireland manager added.
“The minute that the goal is scored that eradicates a lot of things. It eradicates extra-time and it eradicates penalty-kicks.”
