Summit meeting as Ireland host Slovakia

The Republic of Ireland will look to seize control of the summit in UEFA EURO 2012 Group B as third-placed Slovakia come to Dublin.

• The Irish are level on 13 points with Russia and Slovakia at the top of a tight section, and visit Russia four days after their encounter against the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals contenders.

• The sides drew 1-1 in Zilina back on 12 October; Sean St Ledger put the visitors in front on 16 minutes though the half went downhill from then on for Giovanni Trapattoni's men. Ján Ďurica equalised following a corner and then Robbie Keane spurned a chance to restore the lead when his spot kick was saved by Ján Mucha on the cusp of half-time.

• Ireland's record in three games against Slovakia reads W1 D2 L0 (W1 D0 L0 at home).

• The Republic of Ireland also contested 12 matches against Czechoslovakia before its dissolution, with their record reading W4 D1 L7 (W2 D0 L3 at home). One of those encounters was staged in Bratislava, the Slovakian capital, and produced a 4-0 UEFA European Championship qualifying win for the hosts on 10 May 1959.

• Slovakia first met Ireland as an independent nation in Dublin on 28 March 2007, when Kevin Doyle's early goal handed them a 1-0 UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying defeat.

• The return fixture ended 2-2, Marek Čech firing the equaliser in added time after Doyle had restored the visitors' lead following a Maroš Klimpl strike that cancelled out Stephen Ireland's opener.

• Club sides from the two nations met in the 1996/97 UEFA Cup preliminary round, with ŠK Slovan Bratislava beating Dublin's Saint Patrick's Athletic FC 4-3 away and 1-0 at home.