Wooo!

^^That right there, 'wooo!'...totally building the atmosphere, right? Ok! Ireland and Spain kick off in Gdansk tonight and Ireland are going to have to bounce back after their Croatian defeat. There are rumours Spain are starting striker-less again so it would be good for Ireland to pack their midfield and also to keep their back four disciplined if they are going to get anything out of this game.
Luckily for Ireland, Spain haven't looked their hottest but then that was against a good Italian team, not a weak Irish one. I hope to goodness Ireland manage to get something out of this game and the best they can probably hope for is a point but for the supporters loyalty and belief alone, they deserve something. Listening to the supporters actually fills you with a (false?) sense of hope and positivity, if only it can carry over onto the pitch. They are massive underdogs, but it isn't impossible.
I think the same of Spain as of Portugal, that if they can find a way into the game and find a goal, they could push forward for a devastating scoreline. I think Spain may win this game 4-1 and I hate to say it. 


Croatia and Italy both name unchanged sides and it is going to be a much tougher affair for Croatia. They played well but with a couple of debatable goals and a penalty for Ireland denied, Croatia may have been in a very different situation. Italy, on the other hand, outplayed Spain and should be feeling very confident coming into this game. Italy's defence is tight and could prove hard for Croatia to break down. Pirlo v Modric in midfield should be very interesting, although I can see Pirlo coming out on top. Marchisio could also proved a handful for a Croatian defence that looked far from sturdy against a poor Irish attack. I think Italy will win this game 2-0.