EURO 2012 Qualifier: Armenia V Republic of Ireland – Friday, September 3rd (LIVE GAME)

Armenia V Republic of Ireland

Friday, 3rd September – 16:00 GMT
LIVE on Sky Sports 1
EURO 2012, Group B Qualifier

Armenia

I’m not sure whether to call any followers of the Armenian Premier League shrewd or mad, but we think it’s fair to say that only the select few, the rare few in fact, will know anything about the Armenian national team and its representatives. Many of coach Vardan Minasyan’s squad hail from Armenia and ply their trade in their home country, while a host have been plucked from the U-21′s which just goes to show how limited his resources are in a country currently ranked 96 in the world according to FIFA’s official ranking system.

In terms of potential stars on the day, we have no idea as not a single Armenian internationals rings any sort of bell. However, that is largely down to the age of the squad, with many barely past their teenage years, but that could work in Minasyan’s favour as Armenia’s youth look to seize their window of opportunity in a crucial international which will be shown live in front of millions of viewers. That raw enthusiasm for the game, that eagerness to impress may serve Armenia well against Ireland, although whether that will equate into a quality performance remains to be seen.

Armenia do at least have home advantage going in their favour, where they beat Belgium during World Cup qualification nearly a year ago to the day, and if they can somehow attract a large enough crowd to fill the 15,000 capacity Yerevan Republican Stadium then who knows, perhaps a shock could be on the cards if the home contingents could make the atmosphere in Yerevan a hostile one.

Republic of Ireland

Ireland will looking to vent some frustration as they begin their EURO 2010 qualifying adventure, with memories of their near miss in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals still lingering through camp. However, two of the more experienced Irish internationals, Shay Given & Richard Dunne, have hinted that their valiant efforts in bidding to make South Africa, combined with the disappointment and heartache of not making the cut, will be the catalyst for an even strong qualifying campaign this time, while their group, as competitive as it is, does boast more than its fair share of winnable games for Trapattoni’s men.

First up is Armenia and it is a trip to Yerevan in unfamiliar terrain. So unknown is Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, that Ireland have never played an international there, or anywhere for that matter with the pair clashing for the very first time. As difficult a trip it may be, Ireland’s opening Group B encounter provides them with an ample stepping stone to pick up an early win to really get the wheels in motion, while next up is a home clash with minnows Andorra, leaving the Republic of Ireland with two opening fixtures they shouldn’t just pick up maximum points in but should also win convincingly, with a golden opportunity presented to them to see out the first two qualifiers with maximum points as well as the possibility of topping the Group and thus sending out a message of intent to their main challengers for qualification.

The Ireland camp has been dealt several blows mind, none more so than Giovanni Trapattoni’s absence from the sidelines as he undergoes surgery. Assistant coach Marco Tardelli will take the reigns for Friday Group B opener with Armenia but will be without a number of important figures. A great deal of guile and creativity has been lost through Damien Duff’s withdrawal, while Keith Andrews combative nature will be missing as the Blackburn Rovers midfielder also misses the trip through injury. Preston’s Keith Treacy may add to Tardelli’s woes as he too is suffering with an injury is a doubt, with the Italian calling up former Celtic forward Cillian Sheridan as cover and to provide some much needed depth.

It is difficult to comprehend how the lack of Trapattoni’s presence will feel to the ROI players, a manager which has produced some magnificent displays from Ireland in recent campaigns and a man every single Irish players respects, especially when playing away from home in a country which is hardly going to welcome them with open arms. They’ll need some sort of forward spark to escape neutral gear and will sorely miss Duff’s ingenuity, but there is still enough quality in the final third to score the goals, or perhaps even just goal, to seal a vital opening victory through the likes of Kevin Doyle and Robbie Keane up front.

Match Verdict: Republic of Ireland to WIN – 1.70 StanJames

Even though playing away from Ireland does make matters more difficult than it should be, the Republic of Ireland should still register the win they will set out for on Friday against a team which produces shocks once in a blue moon. The absence of manager and Damien Duff is also a significant negative, but with two quality forwards up top in Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle, and with the likelihood of Armenian creating very little, Ireland should put in a clinical display to kick-start their EURO 2012 bid with a bang.

Soccer-Betting Value Tip: Robbie Keane First Goalscorer – 5.00 Bet365

Match Odds:

Armenia – 5.50 Boylesports
Draw – 3.60 StanJames
Republic of Ireland – 1.70 StanJames