‘You can never go into a game feeling as though you’re the underdog’ – Josh Cullen on do-or-die Portugal clash

Josh Cullen speaking to the media ahead of the Portugal game on Thursday.

With Ireland facing the might of Portugal for the second time in just over four weeks, there are two ways of looking at that crushing Lisbon defeat last month as Thursday night’s sold-out clash in Dublin looms.

The Boys in Green were just a matter of minutes away from securing a big point on the road which would have breathed some life into their flagging World Cup qualifying campaign, but Ruben Neves’ 91st-minute header broke Irish hearts. They returned to Dublin empty-handed, nothing to show for their toil. Another near miss, another crushing tale of what could have been.