Euro 2016 Qualifying: TV, Live Stream Schedule for Saturday Fixtures
European minnows Gibraltar face the toughest test of their short footballing history when they take on world champions Germany during Saturday's Euro 2016 qualifiers.
Republic of Ireland also host Scotland in an intriguing home nations clash, while Northern Ireland will be looking to top Group F with a win over leaders Romania.
Eight fixtures will go ahead on Saturday, detailed below:
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| 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET | Armenia vs. Portugal | Sky Sports 5 (Red button, UK) |
| 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET | Poland vs. Georgia | Sky Sports 5 (Red button, UK) |
| 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET | Republic of Ireland vs. Scotland | Sky Sports 1 (UK), Fox Sports 2 (US) |
| 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET | Finland vs. Hungary | Sky Sports 5 (Red button, UK), Fox Soccer Plus (US) |
| 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Faroe Islands vs. Greece | Sky Sports 5 (Red button, UK) |
| 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Northern Ireland vs. Romania | Sky Sports 5 (UK), Fox Soccer Plus (US) |
| 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Gibraltar vs. Germany | Sky Sports 5 (Red button, UK)), Fox Sports 2 (US) |
| 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Denmark vs. Serbia | Sky Sports 5 (Red button, UK) |
Viewers based in the UK can stream matches via the Sky Go app (with a Sky Sports subscription), while Fox Soccer 2GO offers U.S. audiences streams of Finland vs. Hungary, Rep. of Ireland vs. Scotland, Gibraltar vs. Germany and Northern Ireland vs. Romania.
Gibraltar vs. Germany
One team are yet to receive FIFA membership, the other won the 2014 World Cup. Football is full of underdog stories, but this may be one of the biggest ever.
Gibraltar have scored one goal in five Group D matches, conceding 27 and accumulating zero points at the halfway stage of the qualifying process.
While you'd think Germany will be happy to take things easy, Joachim Low's side are currently one point behind leaders Poland. There's also the added factor that Germany's reserve unit recently suffered a 2-1 defeat to the United States on home soil.
A strong German side beat Gibraltar 4-0 during November's initial clash in Nuremberg. Big-hitters such as Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Toni Kroos, Mario Gotze and Thomas Muller ensured a professional route beyond the islanders, who managed three shots on target and just 25 percent possession, per Soccerway.
Low believes the majority of his squad are tired after a long European club season. "I think right now it's important that our players get a summer holiday," he said, reported by the Press Association (h/t the Daily Mail). "We'll be happy on Saturday once this season is wrapped up."
Gibraltar will hope to at least make things uncomfortable. Low is expecting plenty of men behind the ball, reported by DW Sports:
It would be unreasonable to expect anything less than a simple victory, but this is the kind of game Gibraltar fought so hard to receive when gaining UEFA accreditation. They will give absolutely everything to make an impression.
Gibraltar's players must forget the 7-0 loss to Ireland and 6-1 defeat to Scotland and aim to do the simple things well when the No. 1-ranked side in the world visits. That's all supporters can ask.
Republic of Ireland vs. Scotland
Sticking with Group D, Ireland's showdown with Scotland is destined to be pivotal to the final rankings. The Scots are two points ahead of Martin O'Neill's team, having beaten them during last year's clash at Celtic Park.
Shaun Maloney's 75th-minute winner settled a tight encounter in which both sides could have claimed the three points. Scotland bossed the flow of the ball with 59 percent possession, but Maloney's goal was their only attempt on target. Ireland looked to capitalise on the counter and failed to make the net ripple with four strikes on goal, recorded by Soccerway.
The home side are waiting on the availability of star striker Robbie Keane, who is dealing with the deaths of two cousins who were involved in a sewer accident, reported by BBC News. Shane Long and Jonathan Walters will be ready to provide the firepower if Keane isn't in the right frame of mind to feature.
Ireland have only won one of their last five matches, while Scotland have failed to grasp victory in just one of their previous five. O'Neill's men will know the chance to catch their rivals is likely to subside if they cannot capture the win.
B/R UK tweeted Paddy Power's humorous promotion prior to the match:
This is likely to be a combative, physical game in which plenty of chances are created. Both sides can take a huge step toward France by emerging victorious.
Although neither is likely to challenge Poland and Germany atop the group, these are the encounters in which the less-fancied nations can carve themselves a route to the finals.
