Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
THE POISE OF SOMMER WILL DEAL WITH DUFFY
SWISS goalkeeper Yann Sommer says he will be ready to deal with the threat of Ireland’s Shane Duffy tomorrow night.
The Swiss are reeling from their first defeat of the campaign and a win for Mick Mccarthy’s side in Geneva would secure Ireland’s qualification for next year’s Euro finals.
Once again, it was a late goal that cost Sommer and his team-mates a point in Copenhagen.
They had created the better opportunities up until six minutes from time when Yussuf Poulsen raced clear to score and seal a 1-0 win.
Vladimir Petkovic’s side also dropped points from winning positions against Ireland in June and Denmark three months earlier. Indeed, they conceded three goals in the final 10 minutes against the Danes.
Sommer says they intend to eradicate that slackness in tomorrow’s tussles and central to their plan is nullifying Ireland’s dangerman Duffy.
The Brighton centre-back poses a major threat from set-pieces and could have nicked the winner in Georgia on Saturday only to head straight at the goalkeeper Giorgi Loria.
“We know what to expect from Ireland and will be ready for them,” said Sommer.
“Of course, Ireland have physical qualities and will try test us with crosses, corners and free-kicks. Duffy is strong in the air.
“But we are confident that a similar performance to the one from Saturday will get us the right result. It was crazy that we lost that match.”
As the Swiss will conclude the group next month by facing Georgia and Gibraltar in a double-header, a draw against Ireland wouldn’t be a bad result.
However, the top seeds have yet to beat either of their qualification rivals in the campaign.
Only the brilliance of Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel kept them at bay on Saturday. And one moment of magic by Christian Eriksen set up to the winner.
In keeping with his season at Tottenham Hotspur, the playmaker was a peripheral figure for much of the game at the Parken Stadium, scuffing an early chance to put the Danes ahead.
But he stepped up to the plate, taking out three Swiss defenders with a pass from the left sideline for the winner.