Scotland will host Israel in the Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs next March while Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill could enjoy a Windsor Park farewell in a winner-takes-all clash against the Republic.
Those were the results of a draw conducted in Nyon on Friday morning as Uefa determined the pairings of the 16 teams in the hunt for the four remaining places at next summer’s finals.
Steve Clarke’s Scotland got a home draw against Israel, the side that finished fifth in Group G during regular qualifying, and will face Andi Herzog’s side at Hampden Park on 26 March. Scotland lost 2-1 away to Israel in October 2018 but won the Hampden rematch 3-2 the following month.
Should Scotland win that, they will travel to the winner of the other Path C semi-final between Norway and Serbia five days later.
Clarke said: “We played them in the Nations League group stage and hopefully we can get a positive start. I think they were two close games. It’d be nice to repeat the win at Hampden. Every game will come with its own level of pressure and that’s something we have to embrace.”
Asked whether the postponement of Premiership games would help his team’s cause, Clarke added on Sky Sports News: “The longer you get to prepare your team, the better for everyone. There are hurdles to overcome, we will keep an open mind.”
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard said that his side would be willing to move fixtures to help Scotland’s chances of qualifying for a first tournament since France 1998. “I represent this club in this country so for me I give it the support I need to give it. I certainly won’t be standing in the way,” he said. “But we don’t make those decisions. Ultimately it will be down to the SFA and stuff. We’ll go with the flow and if it means us skipping a game or adjusting a game we’ll do everything we can to support (Scotland). That’s what you’ve got to do.”
It was already known that Northern Ireland will travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina while the Republic of Ireland are away to Slovakia but Friday’s draw determined the location of the final in Path B, with the news offering a carrot to O’Neill. The 50-year-old, appointed Stoke manager earlier this month, plans to remain in charge of Northern Ireland for the play-offs but thought he may well have managed the side in Belfast for the final time in last weekend’s goalless draw with Holland. However, either Northern Ireland or Bosnia will host the final, setting up the possibility of a match against the Republic at Windsor Park.
In Path A, Hungary will travel to Bulgaria, with the winner hosting either Iceland or Romania in the final.
In Group D, it was determined that the winner of the semi-final between Georgia and Belarus will host the final against either North Macedonia or Kosovo.
The semi-finals will take place on 26 March, with the finals on 31 March.