Nathan Collins wants Ireland to wipe smile off Cristiano Ronaldo’s face

Damian Spellman, PA

Nathan Collins is determined to wipe the smile off Cristiano Ronaldo’s face as the Republic of Ireland attempt to keep their World Cup dream alive.

Ireland welcome Ronaldo’s Portugal to the Aviva Stadium on Thursday knowing their hopes of making it out of Group F could be over if they do not get a result.

They do so having come within seconds of snatching a deserved point against the same opposition in Lisbon last month, prompting Ronaldo, who had earlier seen a penalty saved by Caoimhin Kelleher, to celebrate wildly in defender Jake O’Brien’s face.

Asked about the 40-year-old’s response after Ruben Neves had headed a late winner, Collins told a press conference: “I guess he was frustrated that he didn’t score himself potentially, I didn’t see it. I only saw it afterwards.

“I didn’t really understand why, I don’t know.”

Ronaldo thwarted Ireland’s hopes of a famous victory in another World Cup qualifier in September 2021 when, after Gavin Bazunu had saved his spot-kick, he scored twice at the death to overhaul John Egan’s opener at the Estadio Algarve and secure a 2-1 win.

He had also cut a frustrated figure for long periods that night, and Collins and his team-mates intend to serve up more of the same for Portugal this time around.

The 24-year-old Brentford defender said: “In the game, I’m not thinking about wrecking their heads or being this, that and everything. You just get on with the game.

“But potentially you’re wrecking their flow, but also putting pressure on them because I feel when they are under more pressure, they might make more mistakes, and not be as confident as they are at home when their fans are backing them.”

Ireland’s need is more than pressing as they enter the final stages of the qualification campaign trailing Hungary, who travel to Armenia on Thursday, by a point in the race for second place behind Roberto Martinez’s men.

With striker Evan Ferguson, who has scored three of their four goals in Group F, missing through injury, Ireland will have their work cut out to remain in touch with Hungary ahead of their potentially decisive meeting in Budapest on Sunday.

However, a bullish Collins said: “I think not many teams want to come to the Aviva and go, ‘We’re really up for this, we really want to fight for this.’.

“That’s where we gain our motivation, that teams are looking at us and going, ‘Ah, not Ireland away.’.

“I think that builds confidence, it builds motivation and you just have to bring it onto the pitch then. You want to create that kind of fortress at home and make it tough for teams coming here.

“It’s what we do on the pitch, winning your duels, winning your battles, playing forward passes, getting in behind them, creating horrible situations for the opposing team. Once we do that, I think the fans back us even more.”