Ireland can avoid disappointment against Armenia on Tuesday
Ireland look set to miss out on automatic qualification for Euro 2012 but they can claim the point they need to secure a playoff spot on Tuesday night against Armenia.
Russia's win over Slovakia on Friday evening means that Republic of Ireland are likely to be unable to qualify for Euro 2012 as winners of Group B and their sights are now set on simply ensuring that they finish in second place, and qualify for the playoffs. To do this they must take at least a point from Tuesday's match with Armenia in the Aviva Stadium and it is 14/5, at
bet365, that Giovanni Trapattoni's side manage to draw with the visitors.
That could well be a good bet and certainly makes more appeal than the 4/7 that Ireland beat the 'Highlanders'. Irish supporters will, of course, point to the fact that they won 1-0 in Yerevan but that was over a year ago and Vardan Minasyan's side have improved immeasurably since then.
22-year-old midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is quickly emerging as one of Europe's hottest young talents and the Shakhtar Donetsk star has now scored in each of Aremnia's last three Euro 2012 qualifiers (which they have won 3-0, 4-0 and 4-1) and he will be the key man for the visitors in the centre of the park.
Ireland have no player that can match the Mkhitaryan for technical ability but what Trapattoni's side will be is very well organised. They have lost just once in nine matches in Group B and that has largely been down to a very strong defence, which has conceded just six goals (three of them in one match) and has kept clean sheets in each of its last six matches.
That indicates that Armenia will find it very difficult to break down the hosts on Tuesday and, although they need a victory to leapfrog Ireland, Minasyan's men are, therefore, unlikely to be able to win in Dublin, at odds of 4/1.
Instead, it is likely to be a very tight, tense match, with both sides determined not to lose and looking to simply sneak a victory by a single goal. That should ensure that under 2.5 goals, at 4/5, is a winning bet with a 0-0 draw (10/1) a very real possibility.
Recommendation
Win Market - Draw (14/5,
bet365)