08-10-2010 20:45 Ireland - Russia

Wanting Another Three Points
When Group B of the Euro 2012 qualification process was drawn, Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni would have quickly picked out Russia as the major threat to his side. However, the Sbornaya have already stumbled once, so victory in Dublin for the Boys in Green, who have a perfect record to date, would give them a huge push towards the finals of the competition.

Regularly strong performers on the international circuit, Ireland have surprisingly failed to qualify for the European Championship finals since 1988, and their last appearance at a major finals was in 2002 in the Japan and South Korea World Cup. A decade of disappointment therefore weighs heavily on the shoulders of the team.

A couple of narrow victories over Andorra haven’t exactly left Irish eyes smiling to their full potential, but simply picking up the three points is crucial in the early stages of the campaign, and in that regard Trapattoni’s men cannot be faulted.

“Would I take a draw on Friday night?” goalkeeper Shay Given mused when posed the question by the media. “Ideally, we are at home and we want to win, obviously, but we must not lose as well. I don't know. It's a good question. We want to win the game, but we know Russia have got some great players and it is going to be one of the most difficult games in the group.”

With World Cup finalists Slovakia to come on Tuesday, the next few days are set to be pivotal in Ireland’s campaign, and four points would set them up nicely for the months ahead. Actually achieving that feat will be no easy task.

Difficult Beginnings

Euro 2008 semi-finalists Russia really caught the eye for periods during that competition, playing incisive attacking football that had them tipped as potential winners before coming spectacularly undone against Spain. Since that 3-0 defeat, the Sbornaya have never really recovered, missing out on World Cup qualification and starting their journey to Euro 2012 in an inauspicious manner.

Hosting Slovakia in their opening encounter wasn’t expected to be too big a problem for Dick Advocaat’s side, though just as they were bested by Slovenia in the World Cup play-offs, the Russians would surprisingly succumb 1-0 to a Miroslav Stoch goal.

Four days earlier a double from Pavel Pogrebnyak guided Russia to a 2-0 success in Andorra, though the follow-up loss would have far more resonance and is likely to pose problems for Advocaat as the campaign progresses. Already ‘the Little General’ has indicated that nothing short of six points will be good enough from the forthcoming qualifiers against Ireland and Macedonia.

The Dutch coach will come under severe pressure should matters go awry on Friday evening, while Russia’s road to the finals will suddenly look very rocky indeed.

TEAM NEWS

Ireland
Giovanni Trapattoni won’t be able to select Fulham winger Damien Duff as he has a calf injury, meaning there is a 90 per cent chance the former Newcastle United man won’t be able to play against Slovakia either.

Keith Andrews has a groin problem, while stand-in Keith Treacy won’t be available either as he is fatigued.

Stephen Kelly and Darren O'Dea have both withdrawn since the initial squad was named, with Seamus Coleman and Marc Wilson called instead.

Russia

Roman Pavyluchenko has pulled out of the Russia squad due to an ankle injury and will not feature in either of the forthcoming qualifying matches. Fellow attacker Aleksandr Kerzhakov is also rated doubtful, but Igor Akinfeev will be fit to keep goal.

Dick Advocaat isn’t likely to rotate his squad a great deal, but Sergey Parshivluyk from Spartak Moscow and Pavel Mamaev of CSKA have both been called into the panel for the first time.



Prediction

  Ireland 1-1 Russia  

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08-10-2010 21:45 Portugal - Denmark

Bento’s Reign Begins
The Portuguese national side have endured a difficult period over the last three or four months, with their World Cup campaign coming to an abrupt end at the hands of Spain in the last 16 and then controversy following former coach Carlos Queiroz in the aftermath.

Queiroz was smacked with a lengthy suspension from the dugout by the Portuguese FA due to his attitude towards anti-doping testers in May, but was ultimately sacked by the body. In his place, Paulo Bento has the role of piecing together a fragmented and underperforming squad.

Already Portugual’s place at Euro 2012 is under severe threat. A 4-4 draw against Cyprus kicked off their campaign, and though that was simply a disappointing beginning, further worries have been raised following the Seleccao’s 1-0 defeat in Norway.

“The team is confident, and I am confident. We will give a good response, and we will win,” the ever-confident Cristiano Ronaldo told the media ahead of this fixture.

Bento’s reign simply has to start with a victory or Portugal face being on the ropes for the remainder of the qualification process. A slip either on Friday or on Tuesday in Iceland would be disastrous.

Unrealistic Expectations?

While the Portuguese are floundering, Denmark are, by contrast, on a relative high. Coach Morten Olsen may have seen his side eliminated from the first round of the World Cup, but they have made a positive start to their Euro 2012 campaign by defeating Iceland 1-0.

Against a Seleccao side in turmoil, long-serving coach Olsen, who has overseen over 100 games during an 11-year tenure, has been keen to play down expectations ahead of the trip to Portugal.

“We have to look realistically at the options we have in Danish football,” he told the press. “You can talk about our three central strikers or other players, but we do not have a Preben Elkjaer or a Michael Laudrup anymore. I like the fact people have expectations for our team but these have to be realistic – if not, they hamper the team.”

European Championship winners way back in 1992, a competition they actually reached without successfully negotiating the qualifying matches, the Danes appeared at every continental finals from 1984 until 2004, making them one of the most consistent forces in Europe.

Three points would see the Danish Dynamite well on their way to Ukraine and Poland in the summer of 2012.

TEAM NEWS

Portugal

Miguel Veloso has been forced to pull out of the squad due to injury, while Liedson is also unavailable. Paulo Bento has been swift to call in Ruben Micael and Manuel Fernandes as replacements.

Denmark

Nicklas Bendtner and Daniel Agger are obvious omissions from the Danish side due to injury, but coach Morten Olsen should be able to call upon all of his other top stars for this encounter. Soren Larsen and Thomas Kahlenberg are other noticeable omissions from the squad, with the latter at the bedside of his pregnant wife.

Elsewhere in the Group...

Cyprus – Norway

In what is shaping up to be a fascinating contest for the top two spots in Group H, both Norway and Cyprus have made what they would deem to be good starts.

The Islanders picked up a point in their opening, and to date only, match of the competition thus far, going to Portugal and earning a 4-4 draw. In a memorable encounter, the Cypriots were actually ahead twice in the leader stages but relied upon a goal in the penultimate minute from Andreas Avraam to claim them a point.

Norway, meanwhile, were busy fashioning a couple of typically narrow wins to start their quest. Egil Olsen’s side had to come from one down at half-time to pick up three points against Iceland, but a goal from Erik Huseklepp gave them a far more impressive victory four days later against the Seleccao. If the Scandinavians complete a hat-trick of wins on Friday, they will be in a superb position going into 2011. 

Prediction

Portugal will hope to be kicked into life by the arrival of Paulo Bento, but the coach has a big job to do in a short period of time. With some of his top stars either injured or misfiring, the coach has a massive task on his hands. Denmark will be resolute and well-organised, and they are unlikely to give anything away cheaply. It would be little surprise if Morten Olsen’s side gain a draw.

Portugal 1-1 Denmark

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