Austria manager Marcel Koller is expecting a tough game against a Republic of Ireland side he says are well organised in defence when the countries clash in a World Cup qualifier in Vienna today (kick-off 5pm).
The Irish are familiar opposition for Koller, who was in charge when the sides last met, in the qualifying campaign for World Cup 2014.
"Ireland are very strong defensively, so it’s going to be a really difficult game," he told RTÉ Sport.
"I’ve seen a lot of their games, and of course we were at the Euros, so we watched the games there too, and we saw how well they stuck to their game plan.
"And we know each other well from the World Cup qualification for Brazil – two tight games, 2-2 there, 1-0 here, the goal came not long before the end – it’s going to be much the same this time. They’ve got special players. We’re going to have to be sharp and alert to see this through."
Austria are under pressure after a poor start in Group D but Koller played down suggested today's encounter is a must-win game for his team.
"I said from the start it was going to be a tough group," he insisted. "The first three games have already shown that everybody can beat everybody else. The four top teams – Serbia, Wales, Ireland, and ourselves – we have to really concentrate when we play each other.
"Then you’ve Georgia, I saw the Ireland Georgia game, Georgia played very well, and they only lost 1-nil. Then we played in Georgia, we won 2-1, but it was very tight. From my point out view, it was a battle right to the final whistle.
"It’s important, of course, that you win these games, so we can go our own way, make sure we control our own situation.
"Against Ireland, we’re at home, it’ll be a full house, we’re going to be doing our level best to win the game."
Koller is particularly wary of giving Ireland the type of early lead they secured on the way to a 2-2 draw in Serbia.
"These situations are always tight," he said. "You can find yourself behind, and have to open up a bit more that you might like.
"There’s always the possibility you can be behind, and then it’s pressure to try and turn things around, so really it’s always better to go in front."
