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Ireland aiming for Andorra double

The Republic of Ireland travel to winless Andorra knowing that only a victory will suffice as they aim to capitalise on fixtures elsewhere and leapfrog Russia at the Group B summit.

Ireland's Shay Given helped earn his team a point in Russia last time out
Ireland's Shay Given helped earn his team a point in Russia last time out ©Getty Images

Andorra's quest for a first Group B point continues as they take on the Republic of Ireland in a UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying fixture of arguably greater significance to the visitors.

• Andorra and San Marino are the only sides yet to pick up a point in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying.

• Ireland, by contrast, remain in the thick of the fight for a ticket to Poland and Ukraine. They are second in Group B, two points adrift of a Russia side who are in action in Slovakia on the same night, before taking on Andorra at home in their final fixture.

• Ireland won 3-1 when the sides met in Dublin on 7 September 2010. Giovanni Trapattoni's men struck twice in the first half through Kevin Kilbane and Kevin Doyle. Although Cristian Martínez pulled a goal back – Andorra's only Group B strike to date – moments before the break, Robbie Keane restored Ireland's advantage soon after.

• Andorra's record in three games against the Republic of Ireland reads W0 D0 L3 (W0 D0 L1 at home). Ireland have scored three goals in each of their encounters but this will be their first trip to Andorra itself – their previous away match against Andorra was staged in Barcelona, Spain.

• The sides first locked horns in qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, with Ireland winning that aforementioned Barcelona meeting 3-0 on 28 March 2001. Ian Harte, Kilbane and Matt Holland found the net for the visitors.

• Andorra caused a surprise in the return fixture at Lansdowne Road in Dublin on 25 April the same year when Ildefons Lima opened the scoring on 31 minutes. Kilbane responded just two minutes later, though, before Mark Kinsella (36) and Gary Breen (73) completed a 3-1 victory.

• Ireland went on to take second place in qualifying Group 2 and qualified for the finals by beating Iran 3-0 on aggregate in a play-off. Andorra finished bottom of the section with ten defeats from ten matches.

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