Bayern Munich look assured of a Champions League quarter-final spot for a seventh straight season after thrashing 10-man Besiktas 5-0 in Germany.

Shane Duffy puffs out his cheeks and exhales at the thought of clinching World Cup qualification over the next week, fully aware he’ll experience better emotions than Ireland’s last successful tournament tilt.

Celtic 1 Bayern Munich 2: Celtic exited the Champions League on their shields after a 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in a pulsating encounter at Parkhead.

Celtic exited the Champions League on their shields after a 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in a pulsating encounter at Parkhead.

Celtic discovered Bayern Munich are still very much a European force as the Hoops suffered a 3-0 defeat in their Champions League clash at the Allianz Arena.

Ben Woodburn kept Wales' World Cup qualification hopes alive with a dream debut winner against Austria.

A throwback this and not just because it was, in the main, an atavistic reversion to the old long ball game from Ireland, an all too familiar one-dimensional approach which looked like it was never going to pay off – until it did.

Now that catching Ireland looks well beyond them, Austria are turning their attention to Serbia and Wales which could benefit Martin O’Neill’s side as the World Cup campaign hurtles towards the business end.

Austria head for Dublin on Sunday knowing defeat by Ireland could all but end their hopes of qualification for the 2018 World Cup finals.

There is optimism that Jon Walters will be able to resume training tomorrow after a rest day for the Irish squad today.

You could call this a breakthrough season for Austrian football, but it is a breakthrough with a catch, writes David Shonfield.

It’s a big week in the club career of Jonny Hayes, as he ponders his options, but the sight of a potential competitive Ireland debut against Austria is also occupying his thoughts.

Hoffenheim suffered their first Bundesliga defeat of the season as they went down 2-1 at RB Leipzig.

Ger McCarthy isolates the major turning points from Saturday’s game...

Here's the lowdown of the game that lead to three points for Martin O'Neill's men.

The Republic of Ireland have beaten Austria 1-0 in their World Cup qualifying Group D match in Vienna.

Seamus Coleman won’t allow ominous weather bulletins, or storm clouds blowing towards Everton, distract him from his priority of World Cup qualification.

For ‘The Third Man’ read ‘The Third Match’ (featuring, um, Harry Liam). So here we are back in Vienna where, this evening, your painfully punning correspondent will be making his third trip to the Ernst-Happel Stadion.

Hoolahan simply makes everybody else in the Irish team play better and, because they know they can give him the ball, his mere presence takes the pressure off his team mates, writes Liam Brady.

Austria have the talent to overcome Ireland and their “machine” Jon Walters on Saturday, according to Arnautovic.

Strolling through a Dublin shopping centre yesterday, Jeff Hendrick sampled a new phenomenon that comes with the territory from shining for your country at a major tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty - and spurned a hatful of other chances - as Portugal were frustrated at Euro 2016 yet again and held 0-0 by Austria.

Bayern Munich 2 Atletico Madrid 1

Darmstadt, Hoffenheim and Augsburg were the big winners in the Bundesliga today as they each pulled away from the bottom three with significant victories.

Bayern Munich 4 Juventus 2 AET (Bayern Munich win 6-4 on aggregate): Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich completed an impressive Champions League comeback over 120 minutes to reach the quarter-finals at the expense of Juventus.

Arsenal must win their two remaining group games to stand any chance of progressing.

Wayne Rooney smashed Bobby Charlton’s record and became England’s greatest ever goalscorer with a fine penalty in the 2-0 win over Switzerland at Wembley last night.

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola is determined to honour his contract with the Bundesliga champions.

Can there possibly be a more mouth-watering prospect in the whole of the 2015 football calendar than Barcelona v Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou tonight?

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique insists his side’s Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich is about far more than Pep Guardiola.

Champions League quarter-final 2nd leg

Hubris. Now there’s a word I really like, with its hint of a serpent’s hiss at the end offset by the near certainty that the slithery one is in for a nasty surprise.

Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels has denied making any promise to join Manchester United.

1. James McCarthy is yet to convince at international level 

Euro roundup: Gareth Bale answered his critics in Spain as his brace helped Real Madrid beat Levante 2-0 at the Bernabeu last night.