Uefa could have erected a barbed wire fence around the technical areas in the Aviva Stadium last Thursday – they still would not have kept Martin O’Neill inside. The Republic of Ireland manager was more animated than he had ever been during his two-year reign, cavorting, roaring and gesticulating all along the touchline as he encouraged his players to cling on to a momentous victory over Germany.
“I didn’t realise I was in the corner flag a few times, and the linesman said I was getting in his way once or twice when I was flagging for offside,” quipped O’Neill, before revealing that the humane fourth official also entered into the spirit of the occasion. “He did say that, another time, he would have to deal with it but, thankfully, he didn’t, which was really pleasing.” But O’Neill knows that on Sunday Poland will be dead set on acting as killjoys.
It could transpire that beating the world champions was the easier part of a daunting double-header. To emerge with automatic qualification from what promises to be a dramatic finale to Group D, the Irish must win in Warsaw or secure a high-scoring draw – or any draw at all if Germany implode at home to Georgia. Poland, chasing the same prize and driven by the fanatical majority of a 60,000 crowd, are unlikely to be as complacent as Germany were in Dublin. But they sure are confident.
“Robert Lewandowski is the best No9 in the world,” trumpeted the Poland manager, Adam Nawalka, on Saturday night, whereupon the defender Jakub Wawrzyniak added: “If you have any doubts, we believe he will confirm it to you tomorrow. He is developing all the time, makes progress continually and I don’t think there is anyone who can stop him.”
The Poles’ faith in Lewandowski is justified: his two goals in Scotland on Thursday took his tally for the campaign to 12 from nine matches. Poland are the top scorers across all European qualifying groups, but perhaps their eagerness to praise Lewandowski reflects the fact that they will be more dependent than before on the Bayern Munich striker, since they have lost their second-highest scorer, Ajax’s Arek Milik, who has failed to recover from the injury that made him quit the pitch early against the Scots.
Milik has not only been a regular scorer throughout the campaign, but also a leading supplier of chances to Lewandowski. “Arek is a phenomenal player, but injuries are part of the game and we have to react correctly,” said Nawalka. Artur Sobiech, of Hannover 96, has been drafted into the squad to replace him. Wawrzyniak will replace the other player whom the Poles lost to injury on Thursday, the left-back Maciej Rybius.
While Poland have been prolific, Ireland have the tightest defence in Group D so far. On Sunday, something has to give. The win over Germany was all the more surprising because O’Neill’s side kept a clean sheet despite having to reform the backline, with Stephen Ward, Cyrus Christie and Richard Keogh all making rare starts, and the goalkeeper Darren Randolph coming on for his competitive international debut in the first half after Shay Given’s knee injury.
O’Neill said Ireland now have “one or two” new injury concerns, although he refused to elaborate, but Randolph will start in Warsaw behind a defence that will probably have a more familiar look, with the return of Séamus Coleman a particular boon. Robbie Brady is likely to revert to left-back to allow Glenn Whelan to regain a midfield berth after suspension.
And if Marc Wilson is fit enough to replace Richard Keogh in central defence, then the Irish will have the same rearguard as they had when the countries drew 1-1 in Dublin in March, when – as Nawalka neglected to mention – Lewandowski was stopped.
The scorer of Ireland’s goal that day was Shane Long, who netted after being sprung from the bench, just as he did against Germany on Thursday and in the 4-0 win over Gibraltar. On Sunday, for his 57th cap, he is likely to be entrusted witha starting place for only the ninth time in his international career.
“Germany was a great result, but we need to make it mean something and the only way to do that is to qualify,” said Long.
