Martin O’Neill: Irish fighting spirit will help give us a real chance tonight

Backs to the wall — that’s the popular consensus on where stands the Irish football team as a depleted line-up prepares to face world champions Germany at the Aviva Stadium tonight.

But if you want a Group D side whose position far more accurately merits that description, then look no further than Scotland, who are really and truly fighting for their European Championship lives in Hampden Park tonight.

Should Gordon Strachan’s side lose to Poland then it’s all over for them — and, regardless of what happens in the Aviva this evening or in Warsaw on Sunday, Ireland would be assured of a play-off place.