David Meyler reckons that Ireland can use their physical nature to upset Germany when the world champions come to Dublin on Thursday (7.45pm, live on RTÉ2).
Joachim Low’s men need just a point to automatically qualify for EURO 2016, while Ireland find themselves in a battle for second and third spots with Poland and Scotland.
Ireland were hammered by Germany 6-1 the last time they came to Lansdowne Road in 2012 but managed to eke out a point from the reverse fixture in this campaign, a 1-1 draw in Gelsenkirchen last October, thanks to a late John O’Shea strike.
And Hull midfielder Meyler may once again find himself in the fray, having stood in for the injured Seamus Coleman, an injury concern for Martin O’Neill at this point, at right-back that evening.
The 26-year-old says he has no intention of letting Germany play their own game if called upon this time.
“A lot of them don’t like physicality but that’s just the way it is,” Meyler said.
“We’re grown up here and it’s a bit different, a lot of us have probably played GAA as kids"
“We’re grown up here and it’s a bit different, a lot of us have probably played GAA as kids. We understand that knocks and bumps come.
“They like to get the ball down, pass it along, they don’t like too much contact so we need to get into their faces and make it tough for them and make it a tough evening, make it hard work.
“The manager knows I am willing to play anywhere. If called upon I’ll do the best I can and the manager knows this.
“If we match them up and take the game to them they won’t fancy it at all.”
However, the former Sunderland man is a big admirer of the German machine.
“They are very good. They are world champions for a reason,” he said.
“They are littered with talent. You look at the players they have – from [Thomas] Muller to [Mesut] Ozil, [Toni] Kroos, [Bastian] Schweinsteiger.
“They are fabulous technicians and they are fabulous footballers and they play for some of the biggest teams in the world.”
Meyler is naturally hoping for a repeat of last October’s result, a game which holds fond memories for the Cork man.
“It was amazing. My family were at the game. To play 90 minutes against Germany and to get a result like that – and when John scored – we were ecstatic and we were delighted.
“All those points have counted till now. We’re in touching distance and we have to see it out in the last two games.”
