Scotland host Poland in Hampden Park tonight in Group D's other crucial showdown.
With the outcome of the group on a knife edge, the result in this game is crucial in determining who will advance automatically in second place and who will secure the third place play off spot.
Scotland Or Poland, Who Will You Be Supporting?
Deciding who to root for in this game is tricky for Irish fans.
A Polish victory will guarantee that Ireland finish third at a bare minimum. We could still finish higher than that by beating either Poland or Germany, but a win for the Poles tonight allows us to lose our last two games and still get third.
A Scottish victory will put them one point behind us ahead of their guaranteed three pointer against Gibraltar, meaning that we'll need a victory against Poland on Sunday to guarantee automatic qualification. But, it does increase Ireland's chances of finishing second in the group and the automatic qualification that comes with it. If Ireland manage to pull of a surprise win tonight we'll only need a draw on Sunday for qualification. With the increased chances of automatic qualification, comes the added risk of falling out of the top three and Euro qualification altogether.
A draw gives a similar scenario to a Scotland win. If we can pick up a result against the Germans we still need to beat Poland on Sunday to achieve automatic qualification. If we lose tonight we'll still have to win on Sunday to guarantee qualification.
If Ireland Lose vs Germany
A Polish win means at least third placed finish and a playoff.
A Scottish win means Ireland need to win on Sunday for automatic qualification, or finish fourth.
A draw means an Irish win on Sunday gets automatic qualification, or finish fourth.
If Ireland And Germany Draw
A Polish win guarantees that Ireland will finish at least third.
A Scottish win means Ireland need a victory on Sunday for automatic qualification, or finish fourth.
A draw means Ireland need a victory on Sunday for automatic qualification, or finish fourth.
If We Win Tonight
A Polish win guarantees that Ireland will finish at least third, with a shootout for second on Sunday, or possibly first should Germany lose to Georgia
A Scottish win means that a draw on Sunday guarantees second place.
A draw means that Ireland can finish second with a win on Sunday, possibly first should Germany lose to Georgia.
It's a tough decision to make, are you hoping for the safe and guaranteed third place option or would you rather the risky chance at securing second place?
