Euro 2016 Qualifying: TV, Live Stream Schedule for Friday Fixtures
Barcelona's Champions League triumph brought an official end to the European club season, but competitive international football makes its triumphant return on Friday, as Euro 2016 qualification comes back into the frame.
We're halfway through the qualification campaign, and every team has come into contact with each of their group opponents, giving us some indication as to the teams that will complete the lineup in France next year.
Friday brings with it a stacked slate of nine fixtures, with the biggest of those matchups analysed in further detail ahead.
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| 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET | Kazakhstan vs. Turkey | Sky Sports 5 (UK), Fox Sports 2 (US) |
| 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Andorra vs. Cyprus | Sky Sports 5 (Red button, UK) |
| 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Israel | Sky Sports 5 (Red button, UK) |
| 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Croatia vs. Italy | Sky Sports 5 (Red button, UK) |
| 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Iceland vs. Czech Republic | Sky Sports 5 (Red button, UK) |
| 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Latvia vs. Netherlands | Sky Sports 5 (Red button, UK) |
| 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Malta vs. Bulgaria | Sky Sports 5 (Red button, UK) |
| 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Norway vs. Azerbaijan | Sky Sports 5 (Red button, UK) |
| 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Wales vs. Belgium | Sky Sports 5 (UK) |
Viewers in the UK can live stream matches broadcast on Sky Sports 5 via the Sky Go app, while Fox Soccer 2GO offers U.S. viewers streamed coverage of Kazakhstan vs. Turkey, Iceland vs. Czech Republic and Latvia vs. Netherlands.
Croatia vs. Italy
Croatia lead qualifying Group H by just two points as they prepare to host second-placed Italy in Split on Friday, a clash that's likely to have grave impact on which team tops the pool.
Antonio Conte's Azzurri may be glad the summer is here and that they're now more able to call upon their strongest players, but the absence of both Marco Verratti and Daniele De Rossi, per Football Italia, hurts their core:
Italy will hope that engine-room imbalance doesn't stunt their ambitions too much, but Niko Kovac has a strong midfield hub of his own in the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic and newly christened European champion Ivan Rakitic.
There is a sour twist on Friday's fixture. Alleged racist chanting during Croatia's 5-1 win over Norway in March means this tie will take place behind closed doors.
However, manager Kovac is quoted by Croatian newspaper Sportske Novosti (via Goal) as saying their objective has not been altered. When asked if his hosts would take a point against Italy, Kovac responded:
"I would. However, we're going there to win. If in the end it is a draw we will take it with a smile. We will not use [the stadium ban] as an excuse, we will try everything to improve our game and in the end maybe we will take the three points.
Without Luka Modric certainly will not be easy, but in the first game in Milan after a few bruises and injuries we have shown that we can still play well. If that's not possible then we'll drop deeper, be compact in order to win the ball and then try to break quickly.
"
With only five fixtures left in Group H, Croatia could go five points clear at the summit if they beat Italy and Norway fail to win against Azerbaijan in Oslo on Friday.
Wales vs. Belgium
After clinching a 0-0 stalemate in Brussels eight months ago, Wales are looking to steal more points off Belgium on Friday and will this time be more hopeful of taking a maximum three on home soil.
The Red Devils may boast a far more impressive scoring record, but the Group B leaders sit level with Wales on 11 points. Sky Sports reported that Marouane Fellaini is injured, and his absence would be a big blow for Marc Wilmots' side:
Of the seven goals Wales have scored in qualifying already, Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale has netted four, bagging a brace in the 2-1 win over Andorra and another two in the 3-0 rout against Israel.
Speaking to the media ahead of Friday's clash, however, Belgium stopper Thibaut Courtois, who played against Bale during his time on loan at Atletico Madrid, said there's more to Wales than the world's most expensive footballer, per BBC Wales Sport:
Manager Chris Coleman will certainly be hoping to prove as much, and a win at the Cardiff City Stadium would see his Wales team claim the outright lead in Group B in what promises to be a titanic affair.
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Israel
Another close Group B match on Friday will see Bosnia and Herzegovina play host to Israel in Zenica, with the Bosnians looking for their first Euro 2016 qualification win in front of a home audience.
Mehmed Bazdarevic has led the Dragons to a disappointing haul of just five points from their first five Group B fixtures, and they're currently sitting in fifth. Israel, meanwhile, have claimed three wins thus far and are currently third.
Victory on Friday wouldn't be enough to lift Bosnia and Herzegovina above Israel, but BH Dragons reports Sead Kolasinac and Edin Dzeko are at least back to give the team a boost:
"Kolasinac and Dzeko, who skipped the Israel 3-0 Bosnia match, will be available tomorrow against Israel. #EURO2016 pic.twitter.com/wQR8AlBkdj
— BHDragons (@BH_Dragons) June 11, 2015"
Anything other than victory in their sixth group outing could well see the Bosnians' hopes of making Euro 2016 crumble to nothing, while Israel will be confident of challenging for an extremely valuable three points.
