Steve Staunton will take his place in football’s record books by becoming the first player to win 100 caps for the Republic of Ireland.

Skipper Staunton joins an elite band of stars in the ’100-club’ but the Aston Villa midfielder leads out Ireland knowing defeat will almost certainly make their path from Group E to the knockout stages agonisingly difficult.

Following Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Cameroon, Ireland need a result against a German side with confidence sky-high following their 8-0 humiliation of Saudi Arabia.

Republic boss Mick McCarthy made just one change to the side which started against the Indomitable Lions, with Steve Finnan in at right-back, allowing Gary Kelly to push up to right wing in the absence of Jason McAteer due to his recurring knee injury.

Finnan was one of three players from both sides starting the game aware a booking would ensure they miss the final group match, the other two being Germany’s England-based players in Liverpool’s Dietmar Hamann and Christian Ziege of Spurs.

Both figured in an unchanged line-up for Germany, who kicked off needing a victory to become the first team to qualify for the last 16.

Ireland: Given, Finnan, Breen, Staunton, Harte; Gary Kelly, Holland, Kilbane, Kinsella, Duff, Robbie Keane.

Subs: Carsley, Connolly, Cunningham, Dunne, Alan Kelly, Kiely, McAteer, Morrison, O'Brien, Quinn, Reid.

Germany: Kahn, Frings, Linke, Metzelder, Ziege, Schneider, Ramelow, Hamann, Ballack, Jancker, Klose

Subs: Asamoah, Baumann, Bierhoff, Bode, Bohme, Butt, Jeremies, Kehl, Lehmann, Neuville, Rehmer, Ricken.