Playoff Preview: Republic of Ireland -v- Estonia

Trapattoni and Co. will hope it’s a mere formality as the Republic of Ireland look to book their place in only the country’s second European Championship Finals when they welcome Estonia to the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday night (kick-off 7.45).


Ireland overwhelmed and outclassed their Baltic counterparts in a 4-0 demolition job last Friday night in the first leg of the Euro 2012 play offs but will be keen to show no mercy as they attempt to finish the job. 

Giovanni Trapattoni has made three changes from that team. John O’Shea replaces Stephen Kelly in defence as the only forced change.  Elsewhere, Stephen Hunt comes in for Aiden McGeady on the wing and upfront Kevin Doyle returns from suspension to partner captain Robbie Keane.  John Walters is expected to be named on the bench.

The fact Trapattoni has named such a strong side suggests the Italian is taking nothing for granted.  Speaking at a press conference after training on Monday, the 71 year old revealed there was no room for complacency. “We can’t allow ourselves to be superficial,” he said. “The qualifier is not finished. We haven’t achieved our goal yet and if we go out onto the pitch with the wrong mentality it could be more difficult to achieve the result we want.”


The manager was boosted by Robbie Keane’s decision not to return to LA Galaxy until after Tuesday’s match.  Ireland’s record goal scorer revealed his club manager Bruce Arena had requested Keane return to the US to prepare for Sunday’s MLS Cup Final before the second leg.  However the Irish captain insisted he was going to see the job through.


“It’s only half-time. The job is still not done yet and we have to be professional. We have to the job properly. They (LA Galaxy) requested I come back with the final on Sunday but this could be one of the special moments in Irish football history and to miss that wouldn’t feel right.”


Estonia, on other hand, face a proverbial mountain to climb if their name is to be in the hat for the competition’s group stages on December 2^nd.


Having seen his central defensive partnership of Andrei Stepanov and Raio Piiroja both dismissed on Friday night, manager Tarmo Ruutli faces a major reshuffle.  And to add to his difficulties, goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko will also miss the second leg after picking up a second consecutive yellow card.


For Ireland, tomorrow’s match represents a long overdue celebration of three years hard graft under Trapattoni.  For the visitors, it’s sure to be nothing more than an exercise is clawing back some national pride.


Republic of Ireland: Given (Aston Villa); Dunne (Aston Villa), St Ledger (Leicester City), O'Shea (Sunderland), Ward (Wolves); Whelan (Stoke City), Andrews (Ipswich Town), Duff (Fulham), Hunt (Wolves); Keane (LA Galaxy), Doyle (Wolves)

Estonia (probable): Pavel Londak; Taavi Rahan, Ragnar Klavan, Enar Jaager, Dmitri Kruglov; Martin Vunk, Konstantin Vassiljev, Taijo Teniste, Joel Lindpere; Kaimar Saag, Vladimir Voskoboinikov

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

PaddyPower odds: Ireland 2/5 draw 16/5 Estonia 9/1

Extratime.ie prediction: Not quite the cakewalk it was in the end last time out, but this should be another Irish victory.