Trapattoni set to name unchanged side

Giovanni Trapattoni is likely to hand the men who slipped to World Cup play-off defeat at the hands of France on Saturday a chance to gain revenge in Paris tomorrow evening.

The 70-year-old Italian tonight hinted he will field the same team at the Stade de France as the Republic attempt to overturn a 1-0 deficit to make it to next summer’s finals in South Africa.

Trapattoni will finalise his plans overnight, but if he does stick with his selection for the game at Croke Park, Stoke midfielder Liam Lawrence will once again get the nod ahead of Celtic’s Aiden McGeady on the right side of midfield.

Ireland face an uphill task to edge past the French after Nicolas Anelka’s lone strike in Dublin handed them a precious advantage.