Republic look to top the group

The Republic of Ireland have not given up hope of pipping reigning champions Italy in the race to next summer’s World Cup finals.

Giovanni Trapattoni leads his side into battle with his native country at Croke Park on Saturday evening knowing a draw will be enough for the Italians to top Group 8 and clinch the one automatic qualification spot.

That would send the Irish at best into the play-offs, where the controversial decision to seed the two-legged ties would put them at a disadvantage.

The only way they can avoid that is to win their two remaining games – against Italy and Montenegro next Wednesday evening – and hope Cyprus can take something from Marcello Lippi’s men in their last outing, and that will be their only focus.

Assistant manager Liam Brady said: “We have always wanted to top the group. Unfortunately, Italy have carried on winning.

“We had hoped that the Georgians might do something and then the Bulgarians going to Italy might do something.

“But it wasn’t to be, so we have got to get six out of six and then hope that Cyprus get something. That’s what we are aiming for.”

The seeding decision has understandably not gone down well in Ireland, with Trapattoni, keeper Shay Given and defender Kevin Kilbane all having expressed their displeasure.

However, Brady insists any annoyance will not be allowed to distract them from their mission.

He said: “We know that to top the group we need to get two wins and to get in the play offs we need two points and nobody’s taking their eye off that at all.”

Ireland drew 1-1 with Italy in Bari on April 1 after the home side had striker Giampaolo Pazzini harshly sent off, and came away slightly disappointed they had not managed to claim all three points.

With Lippi’s side needing only a point this time around, they know they are coming up against a team which has a happy knack of getting results just when it needs them.

Brady, who famously spent part of his playing career in Italy, said: “I think Italians always start off with a draw in mind and then see how the match develops.

“We have obviously got to win the game to top the group, and that’s what we will be going to do.

“We don’t really care how they come at us.

“They got an early goal there and tried to hang on to it, and that’s the way the Italians go about things.

“If we were to score early on, then we know they will come at us. That’s the way most football games are played.

“It could be 0-0 for a long time and the teams will only really start going for each other in the last half an hour.

“But you can’t say what a football match is going to be like before the game, you can only watch it develop in front of your eyes once it starts.”

Defender Richard Dunne sat out training in Malahide this morning with a bruised ankle, while Sean St Ledger also missed the latter part of the session with a thigh problem.

St Ledger was expected to return this afternoon with Dunne due back either tomorrow or on Friday, and neither is considered a serious doubt.

Midfielder Damien Duff has already been ruled out with a calf problem, but could yet be involved against Montenegro as Ireland await the results of a scan.

Brady said: “Damien is going to be staying at Fulham for another couple of days and maybe on Friday, we will make a decision regarding Montenegro.”

Stoke’s Liam Lawrence lined up wide on the right in training this morning, but Brady insisted it was too early to draw any conclusions from that.