The Republic of Ireland will look to take top spot in Group D when they face Serbia in Dublin on Tuesday.
Martin O'Neill's team go into the game on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw away to Georgia, a result which leaves them playing catch-up with their Serbian counterparts in the race for World Cup qualification.
After Serbia's 3-0 win over Moldova, Slavoljub Muslin's side have created a two-point cushion for themselves at the top of the group, but that will be eradicated should Ireland win. Victory is particularly crucial for O'Neill's men, with Gareth Bale's Wales just two points behind them in the table.
| Game | Republic of Ireland vs Serbia |
| Date | Tuesday, September 5 |
| Time | 19:45 BST / 14:45 ET |
TV CHANNEL & LIVE STREAM
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In the UK, the game will be available to watch live on television on Sky Sports Football, as well as being available to stream online using Sky Go.
In Ireland, the game will be broadcast live on television on RTE 2 and can be streamed online using the RTE Player.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Football | Sky Go |
In the U.S., the match will not be broadcast live on television, but it will be available to stream live online using the Fox Soccer Match Pass and Fox Sports GO.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | Fox Soccer Match Pass / Fox Sports GO |
SQUADS & TEAM NEWS
| Position | Republic of Ireland players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Randolph, Elliot, Westwood |
| Defenders | Christie, Keogh, Duffy, Clark, O'Shea, Long, Ward |
| Midfielders | McGeady, Whelan, Hourihane, Horgan, McClean, Hoolahan, Meyler, Brady, Hayes, O'Dowda, Arter, Hendrick |
| Forwards | Walters, Long, Murphy |
Jonathan Walters shook off an injury to take part in the game against Georgia and should be fit to play. However, Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy are all ruled out with injuries.
Jeff Hendrick did not play a part against Georgia, but the Burnley midfielder has been undergoing physical therapy and could potentially feature.
Potential starting XI: Randolph; Christie, Duffy, Clark, Ward; McClean, Whelan, Arter, Brady; Walters, Long.
| Position | Serbia players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Stojkovic, Rajkovic, Jovanovic, Dmitrovic |
| Defenders | Ivanovic, Kolarov, Rukavina, Nastasic, Obradovic, Nikola Maksimovic, S. Mitrovic, Vukovic, Spajic |
| Midfielders | Tosic, Tadic, Matic, Fejsa, Milivojevic, Ljajic, Gudelj, Kostic, Nemanja Maksimovic, Gacinovic, Radoja |
| Forwards | A. Mitrovic, Pavlovic, Prijovic |
Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic and Southampton star Dusan Tadic were taken off as precautions during the win over Moldova, in order to ensure that they are fully fit for the Ireland game.
In addition to Matic and Tadic, a host of Serbian players are on the books at top teams across Europe, with the likes of Aleksandar Kolarov playing for Roma and Matija Nastasic plying his trade with Schalke, for example.
Potential starting XI: Rajkovic; Ivanovic, Kolarov, Nastasic, Nikola Maksimovic; Gudelj, Matic, Gacinovic, Kostic, Tadic; A. Mitrovic.
BETTING & MATCH ODDS
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Group leaders Serbia are slight favourites at 13/8, according to dabblebet, with Ireland priced at 15/8 to record a victory at home. A draw, which was the result when the sides met last September, is considered a 2/1 bet.
Southampton forward Shane Long is 5/1 to score first, while Newcastle United's Aleksandar Mitrovic is 11/2 to open the scoring. Ireland's top scorer in qualifying, James McClean, is 11/1 to score first, while Shane Duffy, who opened the scoring against Georgia, is 20/1.
GAME PREVIEW
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After being held to a draw against Georgia, Ireland's chances of securing automatic qualification to the 2018 World Cup were dealt a significant blow, but their fate remains in their own hands heading into the game against Serbia at Lansdowne Road.
Martin O'Neill was forced to shield himself from a barrage of criticism following his side's disappointing performance in Tblisi last Saturday, but all that will be forgotten if he can mastermind a victory over the much-fancied Serbs on Tuesday.
The teams played out a 2-2 draw when they met in Belgrade last September, but, despite going ahead early into that game, the Boys in Green were altogether unconvincing and required a late goal from Daryl Murphy in order to salvage a point.
With his players left licking their wounds after being thoroughly outclassed by Georgia, O'Neill knows that nothing less than a win will be enough to restore a sense of pride and belief in the squad as they face into the final stretch of qualifying, particularly considering that Wales are simultaneously in action against Moldova - a team the Dragons will expect to beat.
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