Poland host the Republic of Ireland in one of the best of Sunday's Euro 2016 qualifying matches. Both sides are guaranteed at least a third-place playoff place, though both know that a win in this match would be good enough to book their place in France next summer. As it is, it's Poland with the edge: though they're level on points with Ireland at present -- one point in arrears of group leaders Germany -- tiebreakers have them up in second place.
Poland vs. Ireland live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Euro 2016 qualifying online
Poland and the Republic of Ireland face off in Warsaw on Sunday, with both hoping to avoid the dreaded qualification playoff.
Assuming Germany don't calamitously lose to Georgia, a goalless or 1-1 draw in Warsaw would send Poland through in second place. A draw of 2-2 or higher, however, would mean the Republic of Ireland would leapfrog the Poles into an automatic qualification spot as a result of having scored more away goals in the head-to-head comparison. Things could hardly be tighter.
Key factor: How will Ireland’s defense hold up?
By now, most were expecting Poland to have a slightly healthier advantage in second place. However, Ireland pulled off a brilliant upset against Germany last week, with an outstanding defensive performance earning them a shock 1-0 win. In this game, with effectively nothing to lose, they’ll likely play a much more open, enterprising game, though Poland and Robert Lewandowski in particular could well take full advantage of any spaces they vacate.
When they last met: Republic of Ireland 1-1 Poland, 29 March 2015
Ireland looked set to be heading for a narrow 1-0 defeat when these sides met in Dublin back in March. An early goal from Sławomir Peszko sent the visitors in front, and they promptly withstood plenty of pressure from an Ireland team that saw comfortably more of possession. However, in stoppage time at the end of the match, a Shane Long goal sent the Aviva Stadium into raptures, and gave Martin O’Neill’s men a very real chance of making it to Euro 2016.
Match Date/Time: Sunday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland
TV: ESPN (U.S.), Sportsnet One (Canada), Sky Sports 1/HD (U.K.)
Online: ESPN3, (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), Sky Go (U.K.)
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