So tough to muzzle midfield maestros

Group C is threatening to turn into a course on the ‘role of the playmaker’, with Ireland in the unfortunate role of student.

First module Luka Modric, second Xavi Hernandez, third Andrea Pirlo. Modric is a graduate, Pirlo and Xavi both have PhDs.

Xavi has become more attacking during his career with Barcelona.

By contrast Pirlo played in an advanced position until Carlo Ancelotti created the position of deep-lying playmaker, which was pivotal to Juventus winning the title last season.

That’s the conventional version. The players themselves tell it slightly differently.

“The holding position is a tremendously important role,” Xavi explained, “but people wanted me to lay on assists and from that position it was impossible for me. Then Frank Rijkaard appeared and asked me to play 10-15 metres further forward. At the beginning I was doubtful... I couldn’t see play developing in front of me.”

At first sight on Sunday Xavi was much the more influential player. The statistics show he had 135 touches and only seven of his passes were misplaced — fantasy football. What Spain lacked was someone delivering the longer pass that would stretch the play, at least until Fernando Torres came on which created some space.

Pirlo had only 56 touches, which is low by his usual standards: he normally has over 100. He also lost the ball nine times. But in contrast to Xavi (and Iniesta) he delivered seven long passes to open up the Spanish defence.

Whatever formation Spain and Italy use, Ireland will be hard-pressed to combat these two — but Giovanni Trapattoni knows all about closing people down from his time as a player.

Block the line of communication between Xavi and Iniesta and you shut off a lot of Spain’s blood flow. Press hard and high on Pirlo, which Spain tried to do but couldn’t quite manage, and Italy’s midfield can lose its bearings.

The question is whether Ireland have the men with the focus, energy and tenacity to do those jobs for an entire game. It’s a tall order.