Friday night’s results in Euro 2016 Group D will count for little if the Republic of Ireland don’t press their advantage with a win at home to Georgia tonight though history is very much on our side.
Ireland have won all six games against tonight’s opponents including a 2-1 in Georgia at the start of this tournament and a 4-0 win at the Aviva stadium when they last played them at home in 2013.
Georgia have lost 17 of their last 23 away games with their only win coming against Gibraltar.
If Ireland do win they will move onto 15 points, the same number as the side with the best 3rd place position at present Ukraine. That could be important if we finish in 3rd as the best of the nine 3rd place finishers will qualify automatically for the finals in France next summer.
The next 8 third best finishers will meet in a play off. Thos positions are currently held by Turkey, who effectively eliminated the Netherlands last night, Estonia, Albania, Israel, Hungary, Croatia and perhaps most dangerously Russia.
Ireland could yet come second with a win over Poland in the last game of the campaign, third so long as Scotland fail to better our results against Poland and Germany in the next month or fourth leading to a long empty summer.
It’s a little easier for Northern Ireland who will seal their place at the finals if they best Hungary at Windsor Park later this evening.
