Ireland's veteran coach Giovanni Trapattoni has said his team must show belief against defending champion Spain on Thursday as the Irish fight to keep their Euro 2012 dreams alive.
Having suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Croatia in its opening Group ‘C' game on Sunday, Ireland is looking at an almost certain early exit unless it can get something from its game here with the World champion.
The Irish are making only their second appearance at a European Championship and Trapattoni says his team must concentrate and show belief if it is to avoid exiting after the group stages, as it did way back in 1988.
“We have another 90 minutes coming. We have to believe. Every game in this Euro could be a surprise. We have to believe this,” he said.
It has been a decade since the 2002 World Cup, the last time an Irish team appeared at a major finals — it exited in the second round, beaten in a penalty shoot-out by Spain — but Trapattoni's team now has its work cut out as it faces Spain, followed by Italy, which drew 1-1 here on Sunday.
Cult status
Having taken charge of Ireland in 2008, the 73-year-old Trapattoni has acquired cult status in Ireland after having produced such gems as ‘I am not Jesus Christ, I cannot work miracles!' during his reign.
Certainly an Irish win over Spain would be little less than miraculous.
Trapattoni is coming under pressure from the Irish media to blood the in-form Sunderland winger James McClean, who only made his debut in May's friendly win over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Meanwhile, having played a 4-3-3 formation against Italy with Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas up front, Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque must decide whether to give striker Fernando Torres another chance after he impressed from the bench against Italy.
“I am not happy about everything that happened against Italy — there are things we must improve,” said del Bosque. “But I am not unhappy with the options we have, we had four options — the three everyone was aware of (strikers Alvaro Negredo, Fernando Torres or Fernando Llorente) and then that of Cesc.”
del Bosque said if it came to it, he would do without a classic centre forward again. “The only thing that interests us is what is in the interest of the team. The opinions of others surely have interests distinct from our own.”
Raising the game
With Barcelona hitman and record scorer David Villa injured, it was Fabregas who scored the equaliser against Italy, but Spain noticeably raised its game when Torres came on for the final 17 minutes.
There are chinks in the Spanish armour for Ireland to exploit as the centre-backs Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos looked out of sorts on occasion with the experienced icon Carles Puyol missing Euro 2012 through injury.
But the Irish can ill afford to concede after only three minutes, as they did against Croatia, with Spain eager for goals to ignite its campaign.
Patience
Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets has said the World champion must show some patience with Trapatonni expected to set out a defensive strategy.
“If the Irish choose to stay bunched in front of their goal, then the key for us will be patience,” said Busquets. “But clearly, we are not going to change our style one little bit. If we can get an early goal, then that would be an advantage as the Irish would then have to open up.”
The pitch at the Gdansk Arena is certainly a talking point after the Spanish Football Federation complained to UEFA about the state of the grass.
Several Spanish stars complained about the condition of the grass, including Xavi Hernandez and Fabregas, who claimed the surface was “a disgrace” and bone dry.
