We could be in trouble.
Ireland are currently in pole position to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia after a great start to the qualifying campaign.
Our three points against Austria in Vienna catapulted Ireland to the top of Group D and things are looking very good indeed.
Group D looks very nice from an Irish perspective with four rounds of games played pic.twitter.com/dwup0Ytx2N
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) November 12, 2016
Of course, we are yet to reach the halfway point of the qualifying campaign but we will do so when Ireland play Wales in Dublin next month.
It will be one of the most crucial fixtures of the qualifying campaign and perhaps one of the toughest, especially when you consider Wales will be desperate for a victory, knowing that a loss in Dublin could all but end their qualification ambitions.
One player they will be counting on to get all three points in Dublin, is of course, Gareth Bale. The Real Madrid star has been out of action since injuring his ankle in a Champions League clash against Sporting Lisbon back in November.
The update Irish fans were secretly hoping wouldn't come https://t.co/iFLzUKceYK
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) February 10, 2017
It was originally thought that he would be in a race to be fit for the crucial Group D clash but after a successful surgery, the 27-year-old made his return for Madrid as a substitute in a 2-0 victory of Espanyol.
It only took Bale 13 minutes to find the back of the net and you wouldn’t think he was out of the game for a considerable period of time when you see this finish.
https://twitter.com/f_j20015/status/832997639633432576
Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane will have their work cut out if they are to come up with a plan to stop the dangerous Welshman.
