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The Republic of Ireland have more than a foot in the 2012 European Championships are completing a 4-0 rout against Estonia in the first leg, and now Giovanni Trapattoni’s men will look to seal the deal when the second leg gets underway on Tuesday.
Anything that could have gone wrong for Estonia in the first leg did and then some, as the home side not only shipped four goals but had two players sent off and conceded a penalty, a gift that Irish record goalscorer gratefully received.
Keane bagged two on Friday while Keith Andrews and Jonathan Walters also found the net to all but put Ireland into their first European Championships since 1998 and their first major tournament since the 2002 World Cup, but Trapattoni has warned his side against complacency and they will have to be on their toes if they are to avoid the upset of the century.
Trapattoni is likely to stick with the same team that performed so admirably in Tallinn, with the performance of Walters more than justifying his inclusion ahead of Simon Cox , and the Stoke forward is likely to partner Keane at the Aviva Stadium once more on Tuesday, although Wolves striker Kevin Doyle making his return from suspension is also in with a shout.
One striker who will play no part however is Newcastle’s Leon Best. The Forward missed the first leg before being assessed over the weekend and sent back to his Premier League club, while West Brom’s Shane Long will also be absent.
Former Manchester United defender and current Sunderland captain John O’Shea, who missed out on the first game through injury is likely to step back in to the side with Stephen Kelly dropping down to the bench, while winger Damien Duff is a doubt having picked up a bruised rib after a collision with team-mate Glenn Whelan during Friday’s game.
Estonia meanwhile will be without the two players sent off on Friday, Andrei Stepanov and skipper Raio Piiroja, while goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko will also sit out the return leg having picked up a yellow card for protesting against the award of the 88th minute penalty that Keane slotted home to round of the rout.
Keane, now plying his trade in the United States alongside David Beckham with the LA Galaxy, moved his tally for his country on to 53 goals thanks to his efforts on Friday, and the former Spurs man will be looking to make it a few more on Tuesday before likely finishing his international career with a flourish in the European Championships.
Match Winner
Most experts had the tie down as a close, nervy encounter with one team expected to edge through at the expense of the other, but Ireland’s performance in the first leg has shifted bookmaker’s opinions, and now Trapattoni’s men are heavy favourites to add to their 4-0 aggregate lead and secure another win.
Paddy Power have the home side at 1.44 (4/9) to record another win while VC Bet have placed the visitors at 10.50 (19/2) for an upset victory on the night. The draw is 4.33 (10/3) with BlueSQ.
Correct Score
It is unlikely Ireland will win 4-0 again as they did in Tallinn; there is little chance that that much could go wrong for Estonia again inside 90 minutes.
However there will be little they can do about an Irish side bursting with belief and confidence and hoping to secure their place in the Euro’s with a bang.
A 2-0 win for Ireland is well placed at 6.50 (11/2) with SkyBet, while a 3-0 win for the men in green is at 10.00 (9/1) with BetFred, odds certainly worth considering.
If you believe Ireland can repeat Friday’s trick and grab a 4-0 win SportingBet have them best placed at 19.00 (18/1), while if an Estonian upset is on your mind you can back them for a 1-0 win at 19.00 (18/1) with Bet365.
Recommended bets
First goalscorer: Robbie Keane, 5.00 (4/1) Coral
Over 3.5 goals: 3.60 (13/5) SportingBet
