ONE MORE TIME

CRAIG HOPE Ireland underdogs ready to defy the odds yet again as O’Neill tells his players ‘don’t die wondering’

MARTIN O’NeIll and the Republic of Ireland have been here before. Most recently it was in Cardiff, before that Vienna and Belgrade. Now, it is Copenhagen. The doubters ask the same questions and, without fail, O’Neill and his side find the answers.

This qualifying campaign alone sees Ireland unbeaten away from Dublin, an opening-round draw in Serbia followed by wins in Austria and Wales, where last month’s 1-0 triumph set up this World Cup play-off against Denmark.

Before that, in pursuit of a place at euro 2016, there were draws in Germany and Bosnia — who they defeated in the play-offs exactly two years ago — and who can forget the must-win showdown with Italy at the finals in France?

When it matters, Ireland produce.

‘We have overcome adversity in recent years and will do so again,’ said O’Neill (right) ahead of tonight’s first leg. This, then, is not unknown territory. If anything, it is a domain in which they revel; Ireland are the underdogs. ‘We’ve generally been up against it (during my time in charge) and we’ve come through,’ said O’Neill. ‘This qualifying group was even more difficult — we were fourth seeds — and we’ve had some big battles. We had to win the last two games and we’re here on merit — now we have to do it again.’ They don’t have to win tonight, of course. In fact, O’Neill will set out to make the contest as ugly as possible and a low-scoring draw will feel like a beautiful outcome should they board tonight’s flight to Dublin still on level terms ahead of Tuesday’s return. But Denmark are favourites. It was telling that they chose to use their two best players — Christian eriksen and Kasper Schmeichel — to preview the game at last night’s Press conference. Indeed, there was an air of the Danes reinforcing their superior quality. Glenn Whelan will be deployed to shadow eriksen, not that the Spurs playmaker was too fussed by the suggestion.

‘I don’t really mind if Ireland do it,’ sighed the Dane. ‘If they do, then there will be more space for the other players to show the quality they have and we can take advantage of that. But it’s Ireland’s decision and, to me, it doesn’t really matter.

‘I think we will go out there and do our thing and, of course, they will play the way that they have in previous games, with a lot of people behind the ball, so we will have to play quick and open up the game.

‘Of course, if you have a team that want to play and a team that doesn’t want to play, then the game will be dragged out. For them, 0-0 is probably a good result, whereas we want to score goals.

‘I think the whole team should be at the World Cup. We have shown our quality in the squad, so it would be a pity to miss out.

‘I’m feeling confident going into the game. As always, I want to create as much as possible.’

The tactics will come down to a battle of wits between O’Neill and Age Hareide, the Denmark boss who played with his opposite number at Manchester City and Norwich City. Hareide also stayed under O’Neill’s roof for a period.