Two legged play offs to qualify for major international tournaments are a recent phenomenon.
Since the expansion of the FIFA World Cup in 1998, play offs have been used regularly to decide the final teams that qualify for tournament. Looking back on all European results since the 1998 play offs, the numbers are in Ireland's favour ahead of tonight's game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Only five play off ties have had a 1-1 draw in World Cup or European Championship Qualifiers since they were introduced. Of the five ties, the away team in the first leg has qualified on four occasions. Of those four ties, Ireland have been on the wrong side on two occasions.
Ahead of the 1998 World Cup, Ireland welcomed Belgium to Dublin with a place in the tournament at stake. Goals from Denis Irwin and Luc Nilis in Lansdowne Road meant the return leg in Brussels was crucial for both sides. Nilis was the hero in the second leg for Belgium as he scored with 20 minutes left in the game for a 2-1 win as Belgium qualified 3-2 over two legs.
Ray Houghton salutes the Irish fans after the game in Brussels © INPHO
Russia and Italy also faced off with a place at France 98 at place where the first leg finished 1-1 in Moscow. A Pierluigi Casiraghi goal in Naples sent the then World Cup runners up to France after a 2-1 aggregate win.
Ireland were again on the wrong side of a 1-1 home draw as they looked to qualify for Euro 2000. A penalty from Tayfur Havutcu, seven minutes from time cancelled out an earlier Robbie Keane goal in Dublin as the Turks traveled home with an away goal. The infamous second leg in Bursa finished scoreless as Turkey qualified for the tournament in Belgium and the Netherlands.
A bloodied Tony Cascarino gets escorted off the pitch in Bursa ©INPHO/Patrick Bolger
Despite reaching the final of the 2002 World Cup, Germany has to qualify for the tournament via the play offs. After drawing 1-1 with Ukraine in Kiev, Germany scored three goals in the first 15 minutes in Dortmund on the way to a 4-1 and 5-2 on aggregate.
The only team to draw a home first leg play off game 1-1 and qualify are Croatia. On the way to Euro 2004, the Croats drew the first leg with Slovakia 1-1 in Zagreb. A Dado Prso goal in the second leg in Ljubljana was enough for Croatia to buck the historical trend and qualify 2-1 on aggregate.
Looking back on those ties, the away team in the first leg of a 1-1 draw qualifies 80% of the time. Hopefully that trend will continue tonight.
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