With that in mind, we’ve decided to take a closer look at each of the Irish team’s opponents and assess their qualification chances.
Germany
How did they get on in the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign? Germany, of course, topped a group that included Ireland, looking imposing at times. However, they weren’t without flaws — the game in which they let a 4-0 lead over Sweden slip, for instance, hinted that there are defensive weaknesses within the side.
When do we play them? Ireland face Germany at home in their third game of the campaign on 14 October, before hosting them in the side’s penultimate qualifier just under a year later on 8 October.
World ranking: 2nd
Style of play: Joachim Loew has mixed it up of late, playing everything from 4-3-3 to 4-3-1-2. Recently, he tried out a 4-2-1-3 formation, with Mesut Ozil as the central striker. Yet whatever particular strategy they adopt, they are bound to showcase a Bayern-esque style encompassing plenty of sharp passing and swift movement.
Key player: Philipp Lahm — the “cleverest player” that his coach at Bayern, Pep Guardiola, has ever worked with, the 30-year-old is the heartbeat of the German side. And as he showed against Arsenal recently, he can be equally effective at full-back or in midfield.
How many points will Ireland take off them? Zero. There’ll surely be no talk of playing for a draw if Roy Keane has anything to say about it, but in reality, for Ireland to get even a point out of either game would provide a significant boost to their confidence levels.
Where are they likely to finish in the group? 1st
Poland
How did they get on in the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign? They ultimately finished a disappointing 4th. Having managed to earn an encouraging 1-1 draw with England early in the campaign, they then lost at home to Ukraine and never really recovered sufficiently thereafter.
When do we play them? Martin O’Neill’s side’s first competitive game of 2015 is at home to Poland on 29 March, before visiting them in their final qualifier on 11 October.
World ranking: 70th
Advertisement
Style of play: Poland invariably like to play a 4-2-3-1 formation, with a big emphasis on the wide players to provide the supply for the lone striker (usually Robert Lewandowski).
Key player: Robert Lewandowski. The striker played a big role in helping Dortmund get to last year’s Champions League final, and it was no surprise that he was one of the most wanted strikers in Europe as he stalled on contract talks with the German side. Bayern Munich eventually signed him on a pre-contract agreement, so he will officially be a part of Pep Guardiola’s team by the time Poland face the Boys in Green in March of next year.
How many points will Ireland take off them? Ireland beat Poland at home and drew with them away in two relatively recent friendlies, and Martin O’Neill would surely take the same results again if offered.
Where are they likely to finish in the group? 4th
Scotland
Danny Lawson
Danny Lawson
(Scotland have shown steady signs of improvement under Gordon Strachan)
How did they get on in the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign? Their poor start to the campaign cost Craig Levein his job as head coach, and initial bad form under new boss Gordon Strachan scuppered their chances of qualification. Nevertheless, they have improved ever since, securing a notable victory over Croatia in the process.
When do we play them? Ireland’s last competitive game of 2014 is a trip to Scotland on 14 November, before the return fixture against Gordon Strachan’s side on 13 June.
World ranking: 34th
Style of play: Not dissimilar to Ireland, with a fairly direct type of game preferred rather than a more technical style. However, unlike Ireland, who have employed a 4-4-2 style in recent years (though that may well change under Martin O’Neill), Scotland primarily operate with just one man up front, while packing the midfield, thereby conceivably making them difficult to beat first and foremost.
Key player: Darren Fletcher — if the Manchester United man can maintain his fitness and recover the form he showed before suffering a long-term injury setback, his experience and assuredness in possession will undoubtedly be integral for Gordon Strachan’s side.
How many points will Ireland take off them? Ireland have had the better of this fixture in recent times, but Scotland are improving under Gordon Strachan, and so Martin O’Neill’s men would probably be happy enough with four points from the two games.
Where are they likely to finish in the group? 3rd
Georgia
How did they get on in the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign? They gained a paltry five points, albeit in a difficult group that included France and Spain. Moreover, they caused the big teams some problems, earning a 0-0 draw at home to France, while Spain needed an 86th minute Roberto Soldado goal to beat them 1-0 in Tbilisi.
When do we play them? Ireland get their campaign underway in Georgia on 7 September, before playing them at home on the same date a year later.
World ranking: 103rd
Style of play: In general, they unsurprisingly tend to play quite defensively, getting bodies behind the ball and hoping to hit teams on the counter attack. Their record of just three goals in eight games in their most recent qualifying campaign also suggests that they aren’t the most potent of sides going forward.
Key player: They possess a highly-regarded youngster in Jano Ananidze, a 21-year-old attacking midfielder who is currently on loan at FC Rostov from Spartak Moscow. He became the youngest player ever to score a goal in the Russian league at the age of 17 in 2009, and has attracted interest from the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal since then.
How many points will Ireland take off them? You would like to think six, but as well as beating them 4-0 in a friendly last June, Ireland have struggled against Georgia in the recent past — in a World Cup 2010 home qualifier, they needed two late goals from Robbie Keane to beat them 2-1.
Where are they likely to finish in the group? 5th
Gibraltar
How did they get on in the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign? This is their first-ever qualifying campaign since gaining the green light from UEFA to play international football competitively.
When do we play them? Ireland’s second qualifier is against Gibraltar at the Aviva on 11 October, before playing them again away from home in 2015 on 4 September.
World ranking: N/A.
Style of play: If their 0-0 friendly draw with Slovakia last November is anything to go by, they’re likely to adopt an all-out defence policy.
Key player: Scott Wiseman, who plays for Preston North End, is probably Gibraltar’s most high-profile player. They also have former Man United defender Danny Higginbotham in their side, though the 34-year-old has said he is on the verge of retiring from football, and consequently, is unlikely to feature against Ireland.
How many points will Ireland take off them? Six, barring a disaster of epic proportions.
Here's everything you need to know about Ireland's 5 opponents in the Euro 2016 qualifiers
IRELAND WERE HANDED a tough draw for the Euro 2016 qualifiers today, as they were paired with Germany, Gibraltar, Georgia, Scotland and Poland.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to take a closer look at each of the Irish team’s opponents and assess their qualification chances.
Germany
How did they get on in the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign? Germany, of course, topped a group that included Ireland, looking imposing at times. However, they weren’t without flaws — the game in which they let a 4-0 lead over Sweden slip, for instance, hinted that there are defensive weaknesses within the side.
When do we play them? Ireland face Germany at home in their third game of the campaign on 14 October, before hosting them in the side’s penultimate qualifier just under a year later on 8 October.
World ranking: 2nd
Style of play: Joachim Loew has mixed it up of late, playing everything from 4-3-3 to 4-3-1-2. Recently, he tried out a 4-2-1-3 formation, with Mesut Ozil as the central striker. Yet whatever particular strategy they adopt, they are bound to showcase a Bayern-esque style encompassing plenty of sharp passing and swift movement.
Key player: Philipp Lahm — the “cleverest player” that his coach at Bayern, Pep Guardiola, has ever worked with, the 30-year-old is the heartbeat of the German side. And as he showed against Arsenal recently, he can be equally effective at full-back or in midfield.
How many points will Ireland take off them? Zero. There’ll surely be no talk of playing for a draw if Roy Keane has anything to say about it, but in reality, for Ireland to get even a point out of either game would provide a significant boost to their confidence levels.
Where are they likely to finish in the group? 1st
Poland
How did they get on in the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign? They ultimately finished a disappointing 4th. Having managed to earn an encouraging 1-1 draw with England early in the campaign, they then lost at home to Ukraine and never really recovered sufficiently thereafter.
When do we play them? Martin O’Neill’s side’s first competitive game of 2015 is at home to Poland on 29 March, before visiting them in their final qualifier on 11 October.
World ranking: 70th
Style of play: Poland invariably like to play a 4-2-3-1 formation, with a big emphasis on the wide players to provide the supply for the lone striker (usually Robert Lewandowski).
Key player: Robert Lewandowski. The striker played a big role in helping Dortmund get to last year’s Champions League final, and it was no surprise that he was one of the most wanted strikers in Europe as he stalled on contract talks with the German side. Bayern Munich eventually signed him on a pre-contract agreement, so he will officially be a part of Pep Guardiola’s team by the time Poland face the Boys in Green in March of next year.
How many points will Ireland take off them? Ireland beat Poland at home and drew with them away in two relatively recent friendlies, and Martin O’Neill would surely take the same results again if offered.
Where are they likely to finish in the group? 4th
Scotland
(Scotland have shown steady signs of improvement under Gordon Strachan)
How did they get on in the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign? Their poor start to the campaign cost Craig Levein his job as head coach, and initial bad form under new boss Gordon Strachan scuppered their chances of qualification. Nevertheless, they have improved ever since, securing a notable victory over Croatia in the process.
When do we play them? Ireland’s last competitive game of 2014 is a trip to Scotland on 14 November, before the return fixture against Gordon Strachan’s side on 13 June.
World ranking: 34th
Style of play: Not dissimilar to Ireland, with a fairly direct type of game preferred rather than a more technical style. However, unlike Ireland, who have employed a 4-4-2 style in recent years (though that may well change under Martin O’Neill), Scotland primarily operate with just one man up front, while packing the midfield, thereby conceivably making them difficult to beat first and foremost.
Key player: Darren Fletcher — if the Manchester United man can maintain his fitness and recover the form he showed before suffering a long-term injury setback, his experience and assuredness in possession will undoubtedly be integral for Gordon Strachan’s side.
How many points will Ireland take off them? Ireland have had the better of this fixture in recent times, but Scotland are improving under Gordon Strachan, and so Martin O’Neill’s men would probably be happy enough with four points from the two games.
Where are they likely to finish in the group? 3rd
Georgia
How did they get on in the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign? They gained a paltry five points, albeit in a difficult group that included France and Spain. Moreover, they caused the big teams some problems, earning a 0-0 draw at home to France, while Spain needed an 86th minute Roberto Soldado goal to beat them 1-0 in Tbilisi.
When do we play them? Ireland get their campaign underway in Georgia on 7 September, before playing them at home on the same date a year later.
World ranking: 103rd
Style of play: In general, they unsurprisingly tend to play quite defensively, getting bodies behind the ball and hoping to hit teams on the counter attack. Their record of just three goals in eight games in their most recent qualifying campaign also suggests that they aren’t the most potent of sides going forward.
Key player: They possess a highly-regarded youngster in Jano Ananidze, a 21-year-old attacking midfielder who is currently on loan at FC Rostov from Spartak Moscow. He became the youngest player ever to score a goal in the Russian league at the age of 17 in 2009, and has attracted interest from the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal since then.
How many points will Ireland take off them? You would like to think six, but as well as beating them 4-0 in a friendly last June, Ireland have struggled against Georgia in the recent past — in a World Cup 2010 home qualifier, they needed two late goals from Robbie Keane to beat them 2-1.
Where are they likely to finish in the group? 5th
Gibraltar
How did they get on in the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign? This is their first-ever qualifying campaign since gaining the green light from UEFA to play international football competitively.
When do we play them? Ireland’s second qualifier is against Gibraltar at the Aviva on 11 October, before playing them again away from home in 2015 on 4 September.
World ranking: N/A.
Style of play: If their 0-0 friendly draw with Slovakia last November is anything to go by, they’re likely to adopt an all-out defence policy.
Key player: Scott Wiseman, who plays for Preston North End, is probably Gibraltar’s most high-profile player. They also have former Man United defender Danny Higginbotham in their side, though the 34-year-old has said he is on the verge of retiring from football, and consequently, is unlikely to feature against Ireland.
How many points will Ireland take off them? Six, barring a disaster of epic proportions.
Where are they likely to finish in the group? 6th
As it happened: Liverpool v Swansea, Premier League>
VIDEO: Robbie Keane scores a magnificent 40-yard lob>
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Analysis Euro 2016 Qualifiers Germany Gibraltar Ireland Republic Poland Scotland