Underdog role familiar territory for Republic of Ireland boss Vera Pauw

The German team that Ireland face in Essen this weekend have scored 31 times in four Euro 2022 Group I games

Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw ahead of German showdown: 'Please be realistic'

A knowing chuckle is Vera Pauw's response when asked if she has ever faced odds as daunting as those this Saturday.

The Republic of Ireland boss has coached Scotland, South Africa and Russia, none of them strongholds of women's football. Ruud Dokter, the FAI's high-performance director, describes her as the driving force in the rise of the women's game in their native Netherlands.