Ireland take on Bosnia in tonight’s EURO 2016 qualification tie in Zenica, but manager Martin O’Neill is already focusing on Monday’s second leg in Dublin.
And the message from the Ireland boss going into tonight’s clash (7.45pm, live on RTÉ2) is crystal clear: make sure you are still in the tie ahead of kick-off in Dublin on Monday night.
Ireland went through the campaign unbeaten at home and O’Neill obviously believes that the Aviva Stadium is the place to win this tie, with the deafening strains of Shane Long’s goal against Germany probably still ringing in the manager’s ears.
So there is no doubt that the approach for tonight’s game at the hostile Bilino Polje Stadium will be one of extreme caution, with the emphasis very much on defence and nullifying their star players and attacking midfield.
One of O’Neill’s real successes during his short tenure in the Ireland job has been reviving the team-spirit in the international side with very little, if any, dissension emanating from the 40-odd players involved, as a real club mentality has been created.
Record goalscorer Robbie Keane alluded to that spirit and belief earlier this week when he spoke about the way that the players were going about their business in training being reminiscent of the way things were before the last play-off against Estonia, where Ireland comfortably qualified for EURO 2012.
"Team spirit and belief will be key to putting in a professional and disciplined performance"
And this team spirit and belief will be key to putting in a professional and disciplined performance in Zenica.
Several important players are missing through injury or suspension but this belief in the squad has worked in recent games where players can slot into the position whether they have been playing regularly or not.
John O’Shea is the only Ireland player to have featured in all of the qualifying games but now finds himself suspended for the first leg due to a late red card in Warsaw in last month’s 2-1 defeat to Poland.
But Richard Keogh has stepped seamlessly into the role of commanding centre-half and expect the energetic Ciaran Clark to play alongside the Derby County captain.
Seamus Coleman will start at right-back, while the left-back position is again a cause for concern; the manager will likely opt for the defensive strengths of Stephen Ward ahead of Robbie Brady, while the ex-Celtic boss must also thinking of getting Marc Wilson back involved after recovering from injury.
James McCarthy and Glenn Whelan will be key to holding the Bosnia attack at bay, while Jeff Hendrick is also likely to start in a crowded midfield.
One key player that is missing from tonight’s line-up is Jonathan Walters, who is suspended and the Stoke City man has become a real O’Neill favourite and someone who obviously lifts those around him.
There is no one to replace Walters for his strength, energy and enthusiasm, so the manager will be hoping that someone steps up to the mark in his absence.
As always, the remaining places are up for grabs and it would take a wise man to predict the manager’s exact starting XI.
But James McClean is certainly cut from the same cloth as Walters in terms of enthusiasm and drive and could possibly be used on the right flank, allowing Coleman to overlap in attack.
But whichever eleven takes to the field, the one thing that should not be underestimated, and as a result, under-utilised, is Ireland’s never-say-die attitude, which is the envy of European football, even if perhaps, that had waned a little during the Giovanni Trapattoni era.
Ireland’s results against Germany really echoed throughout European football and as in Poland last month, again in Bosnia this week, the locals are talking about this spirit that the Irish possess but cannot be matched by other countries.
“We have the better players, but Ireland has the team spirit,” is something that is spoken about by every Bosnian commentator ahead of the first leg.
And it is true, Bosnia certainly have the better individual players with the likes of Ervin Zukanovic, Senad Lulic, Miralem Pjanic and Edin Dzeko all playing at the top level of European club football.
But the World Cup in 2014 and their average EURO 2016 qualifying campaign prove the point that they are lacking that spirit that Ireland possess, which makes this two-legged play-off a really intriguing affair with no clear favourite to progress.
And despite Bosnia’s undoubted talent and ability, there are many weak links in a side that lost to both Cyprus and Israel during the recent campaign.
What would really shock the home side tonight would be an Ireland side taking the game to the hosts.
It is an unlikely scenario, but O’Neill will be well aware of the home side’s frailties at the back, their oft-careless use of the ball in their own half, their high line and a midfield that are not too fond of tracking back, and perhaps if Ireland go a goal down, the manager might implore his side to seek out an away goal.
Both sides know how an under-par first leg performance can finish a tie going into the second leg as Ireland showed when they ruthlessly put Estonia to the sword four years ago, while the reverse happened to Bosnia in the same play-off when Portugal were out of sight ahead of the return leg.
This is the only match that matters in downtown Sarajevo... #IREBIH pic.twitter.com/SSCe5JAhiG
— Ed Leahy (@Ed_Leahy) November 12, 2015
And on that note, there are key players on both sides who are only one yellow card away from missing that return leg with Bosnia’s Asmir Begovic, Dzeko, Anel Hadzic, Pjanic, Emir Spahic and Toni Sunjic and Ireland’s Seamus Coleman, Wes Hoolahan, McCarthy, Whelan and Wilson all within a yellow card of a ban.
The Bosnia coach Mehmed Bazdarevic is expecting a high-octane affair and will be hoping his side can take the lead to Dublin.
However, with his side confident of scoring goals home or away, he would probably be quite happy to take a 0-0 draw to Dublin knowing that away goals could be what decides this contest in the end.
By full-time tonight, the one thing we will know is whether there is going to be a contest in Dublin on Monday night. And it would be very surprising if this tie does not go right to the wire.
Verict: Draw
