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Wales 0-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina: Harry Wilson came closest for Wales in that half, a left-footed curling effort from the right smacking the post.
ShareHalf-time scores
Czech Republic 1-2 Republic of Ireland
Denmark 0-0 North Macedonia
Poland 0-1 Albania
Slovakia 2-1 Kosovo
Ukraine 0-1 Sweden
Wales 0-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
ShareGOAL! Slovakia 2-1 Kosovo (Haraslin 45)
Slovakia retake the lead before half-time: Lukas Haraslin’s free-kick from the left is teasing … and it beats everyone, befuddling the keeper to sneak in at the far post.
Lukas Haraslin restores the lead for Slovakia. Photograph: Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.46 EDT
GOAL! Poland 0-1 Albania (Hoxha 42)
Albania, managed by former Arsenal full-back Sylvinho and yet to reach a World Cup, have the lead. Arber Hoxha capitalises on a mistake at the back to round the keeper and slot in.
Arber Hoxha puts Albania in front against Poland in Warsaw. Photograph: Kacper Pempel/ReutersShare
Updated at 16.45 EDT
Matt Dony writes in:
double quotation markWales went through a tricky period of transition. Any team in the world would suffer from the loss of Bale, but Ramsey and Allen have been big losses, too. Bellamy has been tremendous, much better than I expected, and he’s galvanised them into a real ‘team’ again. The 7-1 against North Macedonia in the last game was magnificent, but sadly overshadowed by Scotland turning into prime Brazil on the same night. I honestly don’t think they’ll end up qualifying for the World Cup, which is disappointing, but I think the next few years could be fun.
Well, they’re really going for it at the moment. Harry Wilson, in the 40th minute, tries to catch the keeper out with a free-kick from the right, forcing a decent save at the near post.
ShareGOAL! Slovakia 1-1 Kosovo (Hodza 21)
After all the carnage at the Fortuna Arena, let’s go to Bratislava, where Kosovo have equalised. Velin Hodza, from the edge of the area, curls a first-time shot into the bottom left corner.
Veldin Hodza equalises for Kosovo! Photograph: Dénes Erdős/APShare
Updated at 16.31 EDT
It’s a clear tug of the shirt in the area by Manning, a needless foul, and the hosts have a lifeline. Patrik Schick beats Kelleher and we’ve got a proper game.
ShareGOAL! Czech Republic 1-2 Republic of Ireland (Schick pen 27)
Well, this is just wild.
Game on! Photograph: Filip Singer/EPAShare
Updated at 16.22 EDT
It’s a corner from the right for Ireland, delivered by Manning … O’Shea heads it into the mixer from the back post – Coufal’s defensive header finds the bar and rebounds off the keeper into the net. Pinball goes Ireland’s way. The visiting bench erupts in joy.
Updated at 16.23 EDT
GOAL! Czech Republic 0-2 Republic of Ireland (Kovar og 23)
Another one!
Ireland are in dream land! Photograph: David W Černý/ReutersShare
Updated at 16.16 EDT
A kick on Nathan Collins prompts the referee to head to the monitor. He awards the spotkick and Troy Parrott finds the left despite the keeper guessing the right way.
ShareGOAL! Czech Republic 0-1 Republic of Ireland (Parrott 19 pen)
It’s that man again!
Troy Parrott fires home and Ireland lead in Prague! Photograph: Sebastian Widmann/UEFA/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.09 EDT
Wales 0-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina: David Brooks bursts through in the area to win a corner … Wilson drives the ball to the far post, Jordan James heads into the mixer but Bosnia-Herzegovina handle the danger.
Updated at 16.42 EDT
GOAL! Slovakia 1-0 Kosovo (Valjent 6)
Slovakia, bidding for their first World Cup appearance since 2010, take an early lead through Mallorca’s Martin Valjent. The free-kick comes from the right, and the centre-back rises for a powerful header.
Martin Valjent scores for Slovakia. Photograph: Radovan Stoklasa/ReutersShare
Updated at 16.04 EDT
GOAL! Ukraine 0-1 Sweden (Gyökeres 6)
The Arsenal striker taps in! Anthony Elanga slips the ball for Benjamin Nygren inside the area, and his ball across goal is perfect. Gyökeres just needs to get a touch before getting his hands up for that trademark celebration. Graham Potter’s boys have the perfect start.
Big Vik pokes home and Sweden lead. Photograph: Joel Marklund/BILDBYRÅN/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 15.57 EDT
Wales 0-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina: The hosts have an early free-kick on the right, with Harry Wilson over it … it’s flicked on at the near post but doesn’t pose any problems for Bosnia-Herzegovina. Dan James is looking lively already for Wales.
Updated at 16.42 EDT
Peeeep!
We’re up and running across Europe.
Ben Davies, missing for Wales due to injury, is presented with a golden cap to mark his 100 appearances for the national team.
Bob Walnut has sent me his Saipan review on Letterboxd: three and a half stars. “Far more abstract and arty than I was expecting.” It goes on my list.
There’s a light show on at Cardiff City Stadium as we get ready for kick-off. Ethan Ampadu leads Wales out and Edin Dzeko – still going, banging them in for Schalke – is the frontman for Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Troy Parrott has kept firing at club level since his heroics in November, that five-goal spree against Portugal and Hungary to get Ireland here. He’s got 28 club goals for AZ Alkmaar this season, half of them in the Eredivisie.
This is how things are set up for Tuesday:
Wales/Bosnia-Herzegovina v Italy/Northern Ireland
Ukraine/Sweden v Poland/Albania
Slovakia/Kosovo v Turkey
Czech Republic/Republic of Ireland v Denmark/North Macedonia
As we prepare for Czech Republic against the Republic of Ireland … can anyone tell me whether Saipan is worth a watch?
ShareWales v Bosnia-Herzegovina teams
Wales: Darlow, Williams, Lawlor, Rodon, Dasilva, Ampadu, Jordan James, Brooks, Wilson, Daniel James, Johnson
Subs: Ward, King, Koumas, Cullen, Cabango, Norrington-Davies, Kpakio, Colwill, Harris, Thomas, Sheehan, Broadhead
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Vasilj, Muharemovic, Katic, Kolasinac, Memic, Tahirovic, Bajraktarevic, Sunjic, Dedic, Dzeko, Demirovic
Subs: Hadzikic, Zlomislic, Mujakic, Celik, Gigovic, Bazdar, Basic, Hadziahmetovic, Burnic, Alajbegovic, Radeljic, Tabakovic
ShareFULL-TIME: Turkey 1-0 Romania
Turkey’s last World Cup appearance? When they finished third in 2002. They’ll face the winner of Slovakia v Kosovo on Tuesday.
Turkey progress to the play-off final. Photograph: Yasin Akgül/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 15.06 EDT
Slovakia v Kosovo teams
Slovakia: Dubravka, Valjent, Vavro, Obert, Hancko, Bero, Lobotka, Duda, Sauer, Strelec, Haraslin
Subs: Rodak, Takac, Pekarik, Gyomber, Suslov, Mraz, Benes, Tupta, Hrosovsky, Krcik, Rigo, Kapralik
Kosovo: Muric, Dellova, Hajrizi, Hajdari, Gallapeni, Vojvoda, Hodza, Rexhbecaj, Muslija, Asllani, Muriqi
Subs: Bekaj, Saipi, Hadergjonaj, Aliti, Ilir Krasniqi, Rashica, Rrahmani, Berisha, Ermal Krasniqi, Emerllahu, Zabergja, Zhegrova
ShareDenmark v North Macedonia teams
Denmark: Hermansen, Bah, Nørgaard, Nelsson, Mæhle, Højbjerg, Hjulmand, Froholdt, Isaksen, Højlund, Damsgaard
Subs: Jungdal, Rønnow, Provstgaard, Høgsberg, Nikolas Nartey, Eriksen, Osula, Lindstrøm, Høgh, Noah Nartey, Dreyer, Jensen
North Macedonia: Dimitrievski, Stojchevski, Zajkov, Musliu, Churlinov, Elmas, Atanasov, Bardhi, Herrera, Qamili, Rastoder
Subs: Iliev, Shishkovski, Bejtulai, Serafimov, Trajkovski, Musovski, Velkovski, Nikolov, Doriev, Ristovski, Miovski, Alimi
ShareCzech Republic v Republic of Ireland teams
Czech Republic: Kovar, Holes, Hranac, Krejci, Coufal, Provod, Darida, Jurasek, Schick, Chory, Sulc
Subs: Hornicek, Jedlicka, Chaloupek, Vitik, Karabec, Kliment, Cerv, Chytil, Sadilek, Zeleny, Visinsky, Soucek
Republic of Ireland: Kelleher, O’Brien, Collins, O’Shea, Coleman, Taylor, Molumby, Manning, Azaz, Ogbene, Parrott
Subs: Keeley, Travers, Kenny, Idah, Brady, Dunne, Vale, Egan, Knight, Browne, Abankwah, Szmodics
ShareUkraine v Sweden teams
Ukraine: Trubin, Tymchyk, Zabarnyi, Bondar, Mykolenko, Kaliuzhnyi, Tsygankov, Yarmoliuk, Sudakov, Zubkov, Vanat
Subs: Neshcheret, Riznyk, Sarapii, Mykhailichenko, Svatok, Voloshyn, Hutsuliak, Pikhalonok, Yaremchuk, Shaparenko, Ponomarenko, Ocheretko
Sweden: Nordfeldt, Lagerbielke, Hien, Lindelöf, Gudmundsson, Johansson, Ayari, Karlström, Nygren, Elanga, Gyökeres
Subs: Törnqvist, Ellborg, Bergvall, Svensson, Nilsson, Smith, Bardghji, Starfelt, Svanberg, Larsson, Ali, Zeneli
SharePoland v Albania teams
Poland: Grabara, Kedziora, Bednarek, Kiwior, Cash, Szymanski, Zielinski, Skoras, Kaminski, Lewandowski, Rozga
Subs: Pietuszewski, Ziolkowski, Wisniewski, Slisz, Pyrka, Swiderski, Piatek, Kochalski, Moder, Bereszynski, Grosicki, Dragowski
Albania: Strakosha, Hysaj, Ajeti, Djimsiti, Mitaj, Laci, Asilani, Bajrami, Shehu, Uzuni, Hoxha
Subs: Ramadani, Pllana, Pilo, Pajaziti, Muci, Mehmeti, Kastrati, Ismajli, Dajsinani, Broja, Balliu, Aliji
“Do you know why I’m so calm? Because we’re such a good team.” Craig Bellamy never made it to a major tournament with Wales as a player – can he do it as the head coach?
ShareGOAL! Turkey 1-0 Romania (Kadioglu 53)
We have our first of the night. Arda Guler is the creator for Turkey, cutting in from the right to whip a delicious ball into the area. Ferdi Kadioglu, the left-back, makes an excellent run and pulls off an even better first touch before slotting in through the keeper’s legs.
Brighton’s Ferdi Kadioglu puts Turkey in front against Romania. Photograph: Alexandra Fechete/SPP/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 14.41 EDT
Turkey v Romania: The second half is underway in Istanbul, the game still goalless. Mircea Lucescu, who captained Romania against Brazil in 1970, is still in the hunt for another World Cup appearance. What a life.
Rob Smyth’s preview on Football Daily is the best out there.
SharePreamble
Get all your screens up and try not to strain that neck – it’s World Cup playoff time. Sixteen teams are competing for the four remaining European spots at this summer’s tournament, with tonight’s eight semi-finals followed by the last dance next Tuesday. Feast your eyes on this:
Turkey v Romania
Czech Republic v Republic of Ireland
Denmark v North Macedonia
Italy v Northern Ireland
Poland v Albania
Slovakia v Kosovo
Ukraine v Sweden
Wales v Bosnia-Herzegovina
Scott Murray has the Italy-Northern Ireland clash covered, but the rest falls under my jurisdiction. Can the Republic of Ireland continue their remarkable resurgence and end their 24-year wait? North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo have never made it to the biggest show. Graham Potter’s Sweden are here despite not winning a game in qualifying. Edin Dzeko, 40 years young, is still ticking along for Bosnia-Herzegovina. There’s plenty to get stuck into.
Turkey have already kicked off against Romania, with the remaining fixtures beginning at 7.45pm GMT. Let’s go.
Updated at 14.02 EDT