Group E: Ireland's opponents - Germany

Germany

Population: 82.1 million.

FA Established/Affiliated to FIFA: 1900/04.

No of players: 6,256,000.

World Ranking: 11.

Highest achieved: One (June 1994).

Previous finals: 14.

Best performances (As West Germany): Champions: '54, '74 and '90; Runners-up: '66, '82 and '86.

Qualifying record: Pl: 10, W: 6, D: 3, L: 1, F: 19, A: 12,

Leading goalscorer: Michael Ballack (six).

Best performances in European championships: Champions: 72, 80 and 96. Runners-up: 76 and 92.

There was no shortage of upbeat talk from the German camp when they were placed in what would have looked, during their glory days, like the perfect group to launch their challenge for the World Cup.

This time, however, Rudi V÷ller (right) will know that if his side is even to progress beyond the first phase it will have to improve dramatically on its showing at France 98 and, in particular, Euro 2000.

Germany's performances in all three of the country's group games last year were miserable, and the humiliation at the hands of the Portuguese highlighted the extent to which the team's traditional strengths had faded away.

With few players of outstanding quality left in the national squad and almost none emerging from the underage ranks, there is despair within German footballing circles, not least since England pulverised V÷ller's side in Munich back at the start of September.

Had there been a realistic alternative on the managerial front then V÷ller would probably have paid for the fiasco with his job, but he was given the opportunity to redeem himself, which he did, to some limited extent, with the convincing defeat of the Ukraine in the play-offs.

Everywhere in the team, however, there are weaknesses, and, as first seeds go, Mick McCarthy could have done an awful lot worse.