Previews

Trapattoni keen to upset Italy

Author: Brandon Barker
Date: 10/10/2009
Football betting

Republic of Ireland host Italy this weekend with one eye on pressuring their opponents for top spot in Group Eight of the European World Cup qualifying stage.

With every second-placed team now guaranteed a play-off place, except those in Scotland's Group Nine, so utterly dominated has it been by the Netherlands, Ireland are all but certain to have a shot at playing in South Africa next summer.

Giovanni Trapattoni's side are five points clear of third-placed Bulgaria but four points behind table-topping Italy.

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They would need to lose at Croke Park on Saturday, be defeated again in Dublin on Wednesday by Montenegro and see Bulgaria beat Georgia twice in five days to cede second place to the Bulgarians.

With such an unlikely set of events only in the far reaches of Trapattoni's mind, the Irish are more likely to set themselves the challenge of toppling their manager's country of birth.

That would need the unlikely scenario of Italy losing at home to Cyprus on Wednesday, combined with back-to-back Irish victories.

It is a fearsome task but Trapattoni has moulded a determined, incisive team out of a previously under-performing squad.

Based on a spine of top-class players, from goalkeeper Shay Given through to John O'Shea, Aiden McGeady, Damien Duff and talisman Robbie Keane, the 70-year-old has secured points where previously the Irish have failed.

Of that core, only Duff is sidelined after injuring his calf, while Given and Keane have excelled recently in the Premier League.

Away trips to Eastern Europe, for a long time the bogey matches for Ireland, have proved fruitful. Useful draws in Bulgaria and Montenegro were preceded by a win in Georgia, while the historic draw in Italy capped off an unbeaten record in the tournament.

It is the 1-1 draw in Bari that Trapattoni is likely to urge his players to recall as they battle a star-studded Italian side on Saturday.

It may have taken a late Keane strike against the ten men of Italy, already installed as one of the online favourites to win next summer's World Cup, to secure the draw but there was no bowing to the reputation of their opponents.

Of Italy's stars, only the captain, Fabio Cannavaro, is certain to miss out as the centre-back is suspended.

Although they only need a draw to qualify, Marcello Lippi has pledged to play to win, despite resisting the temptation to call up play-maker Antonio Cassano.

Whatever happens in Ireland's last two games, Trapattoni will remain as manager after pledging his future to the national team by signing a new two-year contract extension, ensuring that he remains there until after the 2012 European Championships.

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