Ireland U-21 boss Jim Crawford believes that his young Ireland side will relish the test of Italy when they meet tomorrow in Trieste.
The young boys in green are three points behind the Italians in their group. To qualify for the European Championship finals, Ireland must beat top seeds and group leaders Italy in Trieste or hope third-placed Norway drops points when they host Turkey. Anything less than these two outcomes means Ireland will miss out on guaranteed qualification and a playoff place.
Crawford admits the test will be tough for his Irish side, but he has welcomed the challenge posed by the Italians.
"I believe they all watched our game on Friday, which is the sensible thing to do. Their prep has been perfect going into this game," said Crawford to RTE Sport.
"The biggest thing is the quality of the players that they have—Serie A players. It’s a challenge for our players, but we've had loads of challenges, so it’s something I know our players will relish," added Crawford, who knows Italy will be wary of an Ireland side that was minutes away from a famous victory when they met late last year.
"They're the group favourites because of the talented players they have and the pool of players they can draw from. I have no doubt they'd be fearful of a lot of our strengths. It’s a really good game in prospect, that's for sure."
Jim Crawford has backed his battle-hardened Under-21s to bounce back from Friday's hammer blow at home to Norway in their pivotal final European qualifier in Italyhttps://t.co/1EeSgjhg21
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 14, 2024
Ireland's chances of making it to the European finals were dealt a huge blow on Friday night when they conceded a last-minute equaliser to Norway in Turners Cross. The result hampered Ireland's chances of a playoff game next month. Crawford admits the killer blow of a goal wasn't nice but emphasises that learning lessons from it will help his side tomorrow.
"It wasn't nice," admitted. Crawford. "I thought defensively we were good for large portions of the game. In possession of the ball, we could have been better. On turnovers, we just need to get that first pass right.
"That will be crucial to us in the game tomorrow night. To concede a goal in the manner that we did—that was definitely a free kick—is a huge disappointment for everyone here. It has cost us two points due to a referee's decision.The group is still standing, that is for sure
"Everybody had a huge part to play, from the very first game when this group got together against Iceland in Turners Cross, when we went down to 10 men early. We had fantastic displays against Croatia and Ukraine's Under-23 team. We faced many challenges and learning moments that the players will savour for the rest of their careers."
Ireland's game against Italy will be broadcast on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. The game kicks off at 5:30 PM.
Republic of Ireland Under-21s Squad
Goalkeepers: Tiernan Brooks (Gateshead), Killian Cahill (Brighton & Hove Albion), Josh Keeley (Leyton Orient, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)
Defenders: James Abankwah (Udinese), Emmanuel Adegboyega (Dundee United, on loan from Norwich City), Tayo Adaramola (Stockport County, on loan from Crystal Palace) Sam Curtis (Peterborough United, on loan from Sheffield United), Anselmo Garcia-MacNulty (PEC Zwolle), Connor O’Brien (Accrington Stanley), Connor O’Riordan (Cambridge United, on loan from Blackburn Rovers), Sean Roughan (Lincoln City)
Midfielders: Baba Adeeko (Wigan Athletic), Matt Healy (Royal Francis Borains), Joe Hodge (Huddersfield Town, on loan from Wolves), Andrew Moran (Stoke City, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), Killian Phillips (St. Mirren, on loan from Crystal Palace), Rocco Vata (Watford)
Forwards: Sinclair Armstrong (Bristol City), Aidomo Emakhu (Millwall), Johnny Kenny (Shamrock Rovers), Mason Melia (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Mark O’Mahony (Portsmouth, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), Franco Umeh (Crystal Palace)
UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualifiers (Kick-Off time is Irish time) Tuesday, October 15 | Italy U21 v Ireland U21, Stadio Nereo Rocco, Trieste, Italy, Kick-Off 5.30pm
