O’Neill: Wales should not be taken lightly

MARTIN O’NEILL has warned his Republic of Ireland players not to be taken in by suggestions that Wales are suffering a Euro 2016 hangover.

Chris Coleman’s men upset the odds in France last summer to make it to the semi-finals, where they succumbed to eventual winners Portugal.

However, while they remain unbeaten in their World Cup qualifying campaign, Wales have drawn three of their opening four fixtures and find themselves four points adrift of Group D leaders Ireland.

Failure to win at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin tonight would leave them with plenty to do in the second half of the campaign, but O’Neill insists they remain as dangerous as ever.

SCOTLAND will not buckle in their must-win World Cup qualifier against Slovenia at Hampden on Sunday, says assistant manager Mark McGhee. The Scots are four points adrift of the visitors and six behind Group F leaders England. McGhee said: “We’ve got big players in there who can handle that sort of pressure. We’re looking forward to the game.”

“Expectation is very, very high, not only in Wales itself,” said O’Neill. “The expectation from within

Europe is that Wales are very capable. They possess some excellent players and obviously a world-class one in Gareth Bale.

“Perhaps they might have thought they’d have won one of those

[drawn] matches but the Georgia game, which they could easily have been beaten in, was never going to be easy. But are Wales suffering? I don’t see that at all, I genuinely don’t see that. Wales are capable of winning football matches home or away.”

Everton team-mates Seamus Coleman and Ashley Williams will lead their respective teams tonight, but there will be no pleasantries until after the final whistle.

Coleman said: “Ashley’s a great lad, but he’s a winner as well. Once I’ve got that green shirt on, that’s all I care about.”