SWEDEN’S MIRACULOUS 4-4 draw against Germany has not dented Ireland’s chances of World Cup qualification, manager Giovanni Trapattoni says.

Four days after cruising to a 6-1 win in Dublin, Group C favourites Germany raced into a 4-0 lead against Erik Hamren’s Sweden in Munich.

A German win would have left Ireland and Sweden level on six points after three games each, boosting Ireland’s chances of escaping the tricky group as runners-up.

But a goal by Zlatan Ibrahimovic shortly after the hour mark sparked a remarkable Swedish comeback, completed when Rasmus Elm slammed home in the third minute of stoppage time to snatch a valuable draw for the visitors.

Speaking in Dublin yesterday, Trapattoni said that Sweden’s unlikely point would not change the dynamic of the group.

“I don’t think so. It’s missing only one point for us.”

And the Italian suggested that the difference between the two German performances in Dublin and in Munich may have partially been due to tiredness.

Against Germany, it’s no excuse but we were missing six players. It’s no excuse. I think maybe we [would have] lost, sure, but not with six goals.

[Sweden] played a very big game. Maybe what happened is that German players also play a lot of games in Champions League. Maybe in this situation it was different.

Over the course of long qualifying campaign, Trapattoni continued, it will be tough for Sweden to maintain any psychological boost gained from the German draw.

“When they start in February, they have again the same situation: one game, one game, one game, one game.