Given keeps the faith

SO TOMORROW might not now be the death or glory shoot-out for which Giovanni Trapattoni was hoping before Italy dismissed Bulgaria in Turin, but Shay Given is determined that Ireland make the world champions’ qualification as group winners as difficult as possible, even if the Azzurri only require a solitary point from their final two games.

“They are favourites to top the group, as they were before a ball was kicked and they’ve got the results throughout the campaign,” the goalkeeper concedes. “But there’s still an outside chance we can upset them and do something to change that. We’ve got to believe we can win the game and cause them some problems.

“It’s a great game to be involved in, to have a realistic chance of beating the world champions at home in front of a sell-out crowd at Croke Park and a night-time game. Hopefully, the atmosphere is going to be electric. I know they’re still in the driving seat but even if they go on to get the point they need in their last match, beating them would give us massive belief going into the play-offs.”