A victory for Colin O’Brien’s side could potentially seal their place in the finals in Croatia as the Slovaks beat mini-tournament hosts Cyprus on day one after the Irish beat the Faroe Islands 4-0.
But O’Brien insists his side must be ready to go all the way to the wire in the group if that’s what it takes to progress.
“The way the results went on day one puts us in a good position but it is unlikely that anything will be decided tomorrow. We have to really keep our concentration and focus on Slovakia and nothing else,” said O’Brien.
“We’ve recovered well since our opening game. All 18 players are available. We’re in a good position in regards to potential injuries or fitness concerns.
“We’ve looked at the footage of Slovakia’s win over Cyprus and they have got some physical players. In terms of how they play they’ve shown that they are a big threat on the counter.
“As with any game, we know that there are areas of their play that we have to be aware of and a few we can exploit.
“We’ve played teams like Slovakia before. They have a strong striker and good wide players. We’ll be prepared for the challenge.”
The Irish coach was more than pleased with his side’s display against the Faroes in the opening fixture but insists there will be room for improvement tomorrow.
“There are always areas you’d look to improve upon. The Faroes had an opportunity from a corner late on and we have to be careful not to concede. In tournament football clean sheets are critical,” he added.
RESULTS & FIXTURES
Wednesday, 15 March: Republic of Ireland 4-0 Faroe Islands, Paphos
Friday, 17 March: Republic of Ireland v Slovakia, Paphiakos Stadium, Paphos (CYP), KO 13:15
Monday, 20 March: Republic of Ireland v Cyprus, Kouklia Community Stadium, Paphos (CYP), KO 13:00