Striker Tjay De Barr has warned Ireland not to expect Gibraltar to be easy prey.
The sides will meet for just the third time on the artificial surface at the Victoria Stadium with Ireland having coasted to victory in their only two previous meetings.
Julio Ribas’ men head into the game having followed up their first competitive victory – a 1-0 Nations League win in Armenia – with another against Liechtenstein in October last year and confident they are a very different outfit to the one which succumbed to the Irish during the Euro 2016 qualifiers.
De Barr, 19, is a more recent addition to the squad, but is convinced Gibraltar will more than give Ireland a game, particularly on their own pitch, which was formally approved by UEFA only on Thursday.
Asked if home advantage would give them a better chance, he said: “One hundred per cent. Looking back four years ago and looking now, we have bettered ourselves massively.
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“I believe we have got a chance. You’ve got to believe that in any game, you can win, we got to believe that.
“Playing at home gives us an advantage. Four years ago, things were different, different managers, different players.
“We’ve got a fresh team, a blend of youth and experienced players, which is a good mix to have. The team is great.
“You can really tell that the experienced players are looking out for the younger players coming through. At the end of the day, only good can come from that.”
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