ITAL BE A REALLY DIFFERENT GAME SAYS RANDOLPH
DARREN RANDOLPH says there’s no point looking to Ireland’s win over Italy in Euro 2016 for omens ahead of tomorrow’s clash in Wales.
Robbie Brady’s late goal helped Ireland beat Antonio Conte’s men in Lille 16 months ago when only a win was good enough to help them into the knockout stages.
Tomorrow’s clash has a similar ‘winner takes all’ feel to it, but Randolph pointed out a serious difference between the two games.
“There was nothing riding on the game for Italy, they had to make a few changes for that game,” he said.
“We kept going and going that night. The Welsh team will be the exact same as us on Monday.
“We are similar nations in the way we kind of fight on. They have showed that in the last couple of years and so have we.
“Experience like that night in Lille can help but it will be a totally different game, style of football and atmosphere on Monday.”
Randolph expects a derby like feel to the game tomorrow, in a match where most of the players on both sides know their opposite number from league and Cup encounters over the years.
“We play against the same players week in and week out, everybody knows everyone,” he said.
“We have similar styles of football if you want to put it that way.”
Ireland make the short hop to Cardiff today, and Randolph hopes the Welsh will be tired from their long flight home from Georgia.
“From a selfish point of view, I hope they are still feeling it on Monday,” he said.