Updated at 13.06
MARTIN O’NEILL HAS suggested that Ireland may have a “slight advantage” playing the second leg of their Euro 2016 play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina at home.
Ireland will meet Edin Dzeko and co after being paired with them in this morning’s draw at Uefa headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, and O’Neill expects a tough test, telling Sky Sports News:
“There’s talk here that there wasn’t a great difference between the seeded and unseeded teams. We’d have preferred to be seeded
“The only possible slight advantage is the second game being played in Dublin.
“But we have to perform in Bosnia to make sure that second game means something.”
The Ireland boss says that striker Shane Long is “optimistic” he will be fit in time for the games, which are due to take place on 13 and 16 November, with the striker picking up an ankle injury in the team’s most recent qualifier with Poland.
O’Neill also lamented Uefa’s insistence on suspensions from group games carrying over to the play-offs, with Jon Walters and John O’Shea set to miss the first leg as a result.
“You should have a clean bill of health after 10 games,” he said
“One (play-off) team had two games less to play — so there’s a natural advantage there.”
The 63-year-old coach added that the Boys in Green can take confidence from their qualifying campaign and in particular, the four points they took off world champions Germany.
“Winning in Dublin (against Germany) has to give you great confidence and we have to take that confidence into these two games.
“We have a few problems, suspensions, so who knows what will happen? Injuries are always a possibility
“But whatever we have, we will go for it and try to get to France.”
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace’s Irish defender Damien Delaney added on Goals on Sunday earlier:
“As an unseeded team, it was going to be difficult
“I know (Bosnia) are a good side and beat Wales recently, but hopefully they can come through it.”
Ireland have won one of three previous Euros play-offs, beating Estonia for the 2012 competition, but losing to Holland and Turkey prior to the 1996 and 2000 tournaments respectively.
