Martin O’Neill: We can’t afford another 20-minute lull

Italy’s late winner against Sweden in Toulouse drew a throaty cheer from the Irish press contingent looking on from Bordeaux yesterday, the supposition being it might make the Azzurri, how shall we say, just that little bit less desperate about securing victory in the final group game against Ireland in Lille next Wednesday.

But, not long afterwards, in the nearby press conference room of the Nouveau Stade, Martin O’Neill rightly put the focus back on what is a difficult but attainable goal for his own team — qualification from the group by winning one of their two remaining games, beginning with today’s meeting with Belgium. For all that we’re being told that the Belgians are in a state of disharmony and disarray, it’s hard to imagine players of the quality of Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne losing their heads so comprehensively over the course of today’s 90 minutes that the Irish will only have to say ‘boo’ to them to tip them right over the edge and out of the competition.

It’s a nice thought and maybe it might even come to pass in some shape or form, but it’s far more likely, as they did in taking four points from six against Germany in qualification, Ireland will have to give everything in their power to extract a positive result from this game.