Vladimir Weiss, the over confident Slovakia boss, is predicting heartache for the Republic of Ireland in their most important Euro 2012 qualifier match today. Weiss is saying the Irish should prepare to leave without a win.
The two teams will meet in Zilina, where they are now level on six points alongside Russia at the top of Group B.
But Weiss needs to remember the Republic will be looking to banish all memory of their disappointing performance on Friday, where they were beaten 3-2 by Russia in Dublin while Slovakia surprisingly lost 3-1 to Armenia in Yerevan.
Weiss, still brimming with advance courage, reminded the press this week that Slovakia has never lost consecutive qualifying matches in the two years that he's has been in charge. But that's a run of luck that's crying out to be be broken and perhaps he's counting his chickens before their due date.
"What we gained against Russia we lost against Armenia," Weiss told the press this week. "That last game was a loss but before that we won five matches in qualification in a row so I don't believe we are going to lose against the Republic of Ireland because we have never lost two qualifiers in a row."
"We respect Ireland and I truly admire and look up to Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni. The Ireland team are a great team with a great spirit but I believe in the line-up I've chosen and I'm counting on them for the match. I believe one team is going to lose and I believe it's not going to be us."
As luck would have it, both teams will be short of star players, with Kevin Doyle out due to a knee while Slovakia must play without striker Robert Vittek and the suspended Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel.
"Doyle is a great player but it's not an excuse because we are missing three players as well," said Weiss this week. "We have new players who we are counting on. All the players we are counting on are in a good physical condition," he said.
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