Michael O'Neill is wrestling with a handful of big selection calls ahead of his first competitive match as Northern Ireland manager against Russia tonight.

Poland 1 Russia 1

Russia beat Ireland’s Group C rivals Italy 3-0 last night to cap a dismal week for Italian football.

There was something almost cruel about the way the fixtures fell.

Zenit St Petersburg striker Alexander Kerzhakov believes sub-zero temperatures in Russia will not play to his side’s advantage in their Champions League last-16 clash against Benfica.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI calls it “a speciality game”.

RUSSIA, Ireland’s next Group B opponents, will go into Tuesday’s clash in Moscow in confident mood after beating John Toshack’s Macedonia in Moscow last night.

Russia 1 FYR Macedonia 0

ROBBIE KEANE last night reiterated his commitment to the Irish team and insisted he hadn’t moved to southern California for a holiday.

FYR Macedonia 0 Russia 1

WELL, at least no-one can say it was dull.

THE state-of-the-art stadium is up and running, the world-class manager in situ but behind the fashionable facade remains an Irish side that, like its predecessors, leans heaviest on character and commitment.

Republic of Ireland 2 Russia 3

Republic of Ireland 2 Russia 3

Half Time: Republic of Ireland 0 Russia 2

As confirmed by Giovanni Trapattoni yesterday, the Republic of Ireland line up for tonight’s key Euro 2012 qualifier against Russia with the same team that beat Andorra last month.

RUSSIAN FA president Sergei Fursenko has given new coach Dick Advocaat a vote of confidence as the pressure mounts on the Dutchman before Friday’s Euro 2012 qualifying tie in Dublin.

RUSSIA coach Dick Advocaat has included two newcomers for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers with the Republic of Ireland and Macedonia.

Wales 1 Russia 3

TONY MOWBRAY was handed a harsh dose of reality in his first competitive game as Celtic boss as his side crashed 1-0 to Dinamo Moscow in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round clash at Parkhead.

Celtic 0 Dinamo Moscow 1

ISRAEL coach Dror Kashtan has insisted his players will “give their very best” in today’s Euro 2008 qualifier with Russia.

Russia 2 England 1

The Russia camp have blasted England’s ’excuse making’ ahead of tomorrow’s crucial Euro 2008 qualifier on an artificial pitch in Moscow.

SEVILLA showed they are in fine shape ahead of Wednesday’s tough Champions League match against Arsenal with an impressive 4-1 home win over Recreativo Huelva last night.

Espanyol 2 Sevilla 2 (Sevilla won 3-1 on penalties)

Osasuna 1 Sevilla 0

Tottenham officials and fans have distanced themselves from blame following the ugly scenes in Seville which included Spanish police being accused of hitting a disabled fan.

English football supporters are under the spotlight following a second night of violence involving police in Europe.

Sevilla 2 Tottenham 1

Substitute Darijo Srna scored one and made another as Croatia came from behind to claim a 2-1 win and a vital three points against 10-man FYR Macedonia.

BARCELONA grabbed a first away win since November in La Liga after sealing an emphatic 4-0 victory at Recreativo Huelva at the weekend.

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta admits the team have to be prepared for another “war” in Tuesday‘s Champions League clash with Liverpool at Anfield.

UEFA Cup favourites Schalke secured a place in the last four as a 1-1 draw with visitors Levski Sofia proved enough to clinch a 4-2 aggregate win in the quarter-finals.

An unlikely double from former Manchester City defender Daniel van Buyten was enough to take Hamburg past FC Thun and into the last 16 of the UEFA Cup.

Bolton will have to endure a nervy trip to Marseille next week following a goalless and bad tempered first-leg draw at the Reebok in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup.

Tottenham have rejected claims by Alexander Kerzhakov’s agent that they made an £8m (€11.7m) offer for the Russian striker.

CSKA Moscow’s defence of their UEFA Cup crown finally gathered pace on Thursday as Vagner Love netted twice in a 2-1 defeat of Levski Sofia.

Bolton Wanderers 1 Zenit St Petersburg 0

Bolton 1 Zenit St Petersburg 0

DESPITE being held to a 1-1 draw in Georgia on Saturday, Ukraine became the first European nation to qualify for the next year’s World Cup.

Alexander Kerzhakov bagged a brace as Russia kept alive their slim hopes of qualification for the 2006 World Cup with victory over Group 3 minnows Liechtenstein.

Greece may be the European Nations champions but their club sides struggled as the group stage of the UEFA Cup got underway with all three representatives beaten.