Rep of Ireland v Germany preview - Trapattoni's side face tough test on the road to 2014 World Cup

Posted Friday, October 12, 2012 by skysports.com

Rep of Ireland v Germany preview - Trapattoni's side face tough test on the road to 2014 World Cup
Giovanni Trapattoni: Looking to guide Ireland to a first World Cup finals since 2002

The Republic of Ireland face qualification specialists Germany at the Aviva Stadium in their latest fixture on the road to the 2014 World Cup.

Ireland may have failed to pick up a point at Euro 2012, but their presence at that event has helped to put them back on the global football map and made them hungry for more.

By the time the World Cup rolls into Brazil in 2014, Ireland will have gone 12 years since they last graced the biggest of sporting stages.

That is considered to be too long, and they have every intention of breaking that barren run.

They have, however, been placed in a competitive Group C, with Germany and Sweden also setting their sights on a top-two finish.

Ireland opened their campaign with a win away in Kazakhstan, but know Germany will provide a much stiffer test of their qualification credentials.

Home soil advantage could play into Irish hands, but Giovanni Trapattoni will need no reminding of the record his side are looking to break on Friday evening.

Germany saw off the Faroe Islands and Austria in September to stretch their unbeaten run in qualifying clashes to 12 matches - with that run dating back to October 2007.

Joachim Low has assembled a settled side and has overseen runs through to the latter stages of the last three major international events.

More of the same will be expected this time around, with Germany among the favourites to claim a fourth World Cup crown.

Absentees

Trapattoni has already named his starting XI for the game, but finds himself without the services of the retired Shay Given and Damien Duff and the injured Robbie Keane and Richard Dunne for the first time since November 1999.

Having been forced to shuffle his pack, the Italian tactician has opted to name Stoke frontman Jon Walters as a lone striker.

Keith Andrews, James McCarthy and Keith Fahey will line up in a three-man midfield, with Aiden McGeady and Simon Cox providing width on the flanks.

Seamus Coleman has got the nod at right-back with John O'Shea, who will captain the side in Keane's absence, moving inside to partner Darren O'Dea and Stephen Ward starting on the left.

Sunderland keeper Keiren Westwood will win his 11th senior cap between the sticks.

Decisions

Low has a 20-man squad at his disposal, but has yet to decide what his starting line-up will be.

Apart from Manuel Neuer, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose, nobody is currently assured of their place.

Sami Khedira should partner Schweinsteiger in the heart of the midfield with Toni Kroos "playing a part at some stage of the game", according to Low, who is also considering giving full-back Heiko Westermann his first cap in almost two years in place of suspended captain Philipp Lahm.