How Scotland can boost Ireland’s fading World Cup hopes

Down to third place in Group D, but not yet out of contention for a ticket to the World Cup finals in Russia, Ireland’s hopes almost certainly rest on winning both of their remaining qualifiers, against Moldova in Dublin and Wales in Cardiff next month.

It’s still theoretically possible for Martin O’Neill’s team to qualify automatically as group winners. But since this would require unbeaten Serbia to lose away to Austria and at home to Georgia, that prospect looks unlikely.

Four points against Moldova and Wales would raise Ireland’s total to 17. For purposes of calculating the eight best runners-up across the nine European groups, it’s necessary to subtract the six points that would have been gained against bottom-of-the-table Moldova.