It is crunch time in the World Cup playoffs, with 16 European teams battling for four spots in this summer's tournament. The stakes are high, and there are no second chances. Northern Ireland face a daunting task away to Gennaro Gattuso's Italy in Bergamo, needing their most famous away victory since 1983. Italy have not qualified for a World Cup since 2014, and the last time they failed to qualify before that, in 1958, they were knocked out by Northern Ireland.
The winners of that tie will face a playoff final away to either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina. Wales, managed by Craig Bellamy, have home advantage and a higher Fifa ranking, but Bosnia and Herzegovina boast veteran striker Edin Dzeko. Bellamy has impressed since taking over, and his team will play an attacking style. 'We're going all out, we ain't sitting back,' he said. 'If it fails, I can sleep.'
The Republic of Ireland, who reached the playoffs thanks to Troy Parrott's winner in Hungary, face the Czech Republic in Prague. The winners will host Denmark or North Macedonia on Tuesday. Graham Potter's Sweden, who finished bottom of their group but qualified via the Nations League, play Ukraine in Valencia. If Sweden win both ties on penalties, they would become the first team to qualify without winning a match since Hungary in 1954.
Thursday's semi-finals will reduce the 16 teams to eight, with the finals on Tuesday. The matches promise thrills and drama, with no room for error.
