2018 World Cup play-off second leg: Republic of Ireland v Denmark (tonight, Aviva Stadium. 7.45pm, first leg 0-0)
IT was approaching midnight when Shane Duffy stopped in the players’ mixed zone to grant some post-match interviews after the Republic of Ireland’s goalless draw with World Cup play-off opponents Denmark.
The first thing the big Derry man noted was the physical strength of the Danes.
Age Hareide’s side probably ran out of ideas in the second half of last Saturday’s dour struggle in Copenhagen - but they kept hammering at Ireland’s door.
This time two years ago Euro 2016 play-off opponents Bosnia-Herzegovina couldn’t handle the pressure in the second leg in Dublin.
The Irish overwhelmed them in every department.
Last month in Cardiff, the Welsh began to wilt in the last half hour.
This Republic of Ireland team prides itself on grinding teams down and breaking their spirit.
When an actual football match threatens to break out that’s when they're most vulnerable.
Given Denmark’s physical strengths and their general contentment with the outcome of Saturday’s first leg, the feeling is Denmark won’t wilt like Wales or Bosnia did.
Of course, the Danes are in the play-offs for a reason.
They lack quality in certain areas of the field but they have a couple of dependable match-winners and they generally punch their weight.
They pass the ball better than their hosts and have a better attacking strategy.
Going forward, Ireland were really poor in Copenhagen – and have been in most of their home games under Martin O’Neill.
The sum total of Ireland’s attacking play in Saturday night’s first leg was trying to make yardage up the field by winning throw-ins and free-kicks in Denmark’s half of the field.
It was primitive stuff.
At some point a game of football is going to break out in Dublin tonight.
And that’s where Christian Eriksen could fashion an away goal for the Danes.
Tired legs are bound to come into play too.
And with the Irish doing more chasing than retaining possession, more gaps could appear in the home defence.
O’Neill has stressed that the Republic will probably need to score two goals tonight to see off Denmark and reach next summer’s finals.
But that is a considerable task for a side that has mustered just four goals in five qualification games at home, two of which came against minnows Moldova.
The Irish drew a blank at home to Wales and Serbia.
On the side's goal drought in Dublin, O’Neill said: “You have to treat the game on its own merits. You can’t look at the past now and say well we didn’t do this, and we didn’t do that.
“Some of the games we might have scored more goals in but we’re not prolific.
“I’m only here competitively three years. Really top quality Republic of Ireland sides have not been able to score goals.
“You have Robbie Keane out on his own and the next person to him is someone who might have forced a corner or something like that.
“Seriously, that is the case. There have been great players who have played for the Republic of Ireland in their history and they have never been prolific.
“We have to find the net and we think we’re capable of doing it. It won’t be easy and it’s a tough match for us, a really tough game.
“We find everything tough, it’s the nature of us. We don’t have all the skills that maybe other nations have.
“We have to find it in different manners, I’ve said that umpteen times: we have to find it. So far, the lads have come up big in matches and tomorrow is a massive game and we’re hoping to do it again.”
If anything, Ireland’s attacking play has regressed since the start of this qualification campaign.
But there is still merit in O’Neill’s argument that, under his stewardship, the Republic finds a way to win important games.
They rode their luck against Germany before Shane Long thumped home the winner during Euro 2016 qualification.
Their never-say-die spirit yielded a late winner against the Italians at last summer’s finals and overcoming Wales in Cardiff are compelling pieces of evidence that suggest they can beat Denmark in a one-off game without having to worry about away goals.
But they need Robbie Brady to return to somewhere close to his best.
They need Shane Long to take the Danish defenders out of their comfort zone and to find his instinctive touch in front of goal.
Jeff Hendrick needs to rediscover his international form of last summer.
And O’Neill might need to summon the “lightly raced” Wes Hoolahan from the bench at some stage should tonight’s second leg be as tight as the first.
The ideal scenario is for the Republic to hit the ground running and conjure an early goal that would seriously unsettle the visitors.
“The side,” O’Neill said, “is made up of certain components and this [fighting spirit] is a very strong element of it. It shouldn’t be everything in our side because eventually, as well as spirit, we need to be able to try and play as well.
“That sort of spirit can overcome a number of hurdles during the campaign. I’m not saying it’s everything… [But] We have to win matches in other manners.”
It’s impossible to imagine a second dour struggle between these two sides.
In fact, tonight’s affair could be completely unrecognisable to events in Copenhagen.
The Irish will be better. Let's face it, they couldn't be any worse.
But the Danes will fancy the job.
In a recent interview, former international Damien Duff insisted he never felt “more alive” than he did in play-off games with his country.
Recalling Ireland’s superb display against France in Paris back in November 2009, Duff said: “We said before the match we’d give it a f***ing lash. Sometimes it can be that simple in football.”
That kind of clear-headed thinking might just be the best approach for the Republic of Ireland players ahead of tonight's second leg, as they stand on the cusp of World Cup qualification and hero status.
Republic of Ireland (probable): Randolph, Christie, Ward, Clark, Duffy, Meyler, Arter, Hendrick, Brady, Long, McClean
Denmark (probable): Schmeichel, Ankersen, Larsen, Bejelland, Kaej, Delaney, Kvist, Erisken, Sisto, Jorgensen, Poulsen
