Recent entries in World Cup 2010
Ireland v Italy: Daniel McDonnell's betting update
Daniel McDonnell / 08 October 2009 Free Bet View Market
Shay Given takes advice from manager Giovanni Trapattoni
"Ireland need two points to make sure of second spot and a play-off, but that is only in the event of Bulgaria winning their last two matches."
Could Saturday's match at Croke Park turn out to be a tale of two goalkeepers?
There's a school of thought which would argue that Gianluigi Buffon and Shay Given are the two foremost netminders in the world. Certainly, they have been invaluable to their respective countries over the years and in this Group Eight campaign.
Without Buffon, the Italians would be in a tight spot rather than holding a four point lead coming to Croke Park. In their group opener, they scraped out of Cyprus with a 2-1 win where their number 1 was man of the match with a string of outstanding stops. In April he was their man of the match in the 1-1 draw with Ireland in Bari and before two own goals gifted them a win in Georgia last month, the 31-year-old was also called upon to produce a world class stop. Given was equally instrumental to his side's 1-1 draw in Bulgaria in June, to offer just one example.
Both shot stoppers stand on 98 caps so should make the 100 barrier in their country's concluding group matches next Wednesday.
They could be reasonably irrelevant games if Italy get a draw at Croke Park on Saturday as that would put them into next summer's World Cup. Ireland need two points to make sure of second spot and a play-off, but that is only in the event of Bulgaria winning their last two matches.
Bulgaria will be hoping for an Irish slip up at home to Montenegro, just in the same way that the Irish will be praying for an Italian mishap at home to Cyprus if the hosts somehow win on Saturday. However, considering the consistency of the goalkeepers in question, it's hard to envisage too many freak results occurring.
Current Odds: Republic of Ireland [3.8], Italy [2.48], Draw [2.92].
