Matchday 8 in the UEFA World Cup qualifiers are upon us, with the latest round set to take place from Monday through Tuesday. The action kicks off with Cyprus vs Malta, with these two Group H minnows locking horns at 12 p.m. ET before the continental giants take to the field.
Of the 25 games set to take place over this two-day period, 11 will be held on Monday while the remaining 14 are scheduled for Tuesday. Germany, who are finding their stride under new manager Hansi Flick, will be in action today as they take on their closest rivals in Group J: second-placed North Macedonia. Elsewhere, Netherlands and Croatia will also play on October 11, as will Wales, as the Dragons look to return to winning ways after back-to-back draws handed their hopes of making Qatar 2022 a setback.
As mentioned above, Tuesday will be more action-packed, with Kazakhstan vs Finland kicking off tomorrow's round of fixtures at 10 a.m. ET. Sweden, who sit behind Group B leaders Spain by a single point, will be in action and could go top of the table should they win as Luis Enrique's side don't have a qualifier to play. England, who boast a near-perfect record so far, will be in for a tricky test as they look to maintain -- or add to –- their healthy four-point lead at the top of Group I. Portugal, who have a game in hand, will also take to the field on Tuesday as they aim to overtake Group A leaders Serbia. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming round in the UEFA World Cup qualifiers.
The UEFA World Cup qualifiers standings ahead of the midweek fixtures
Group A
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Serbia: 14 pts
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Portugal: 13 pts
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Luxembourg: 6 pts
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Ireland: 5 pts
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Azerbaijan: 1 pts
Group B
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Spain: 13 pts
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Sweden: 12 pts
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Greece: 9 pts
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Kosovo: 4 pts
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Georgia: 1 pts
Group C
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Italy: 14 pts
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Switzerland: 11 pts
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Northern Ireland 5 pts
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Bulgaria: 5 pts
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Lithuania: 3 pts
Group D
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France: 12 pts
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Ukraine: 8 pts
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Bosnia and Herzegovina: 6 pts
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Finland: 5 pts
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Kazakhstan: 3 pts
Group E
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Belgium: 16 pts
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Czech Republic: 8 pts
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Wales: 8 pts
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Estonia: 4 pts
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Belarus: 3 pts
Group F
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Denmark: 21 pts
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Scotland: 14 pts
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Israel: 10 pts
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Austria: 10 pts
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Faroe Islands: 4 pts
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Moldova: 1 pts
Group G
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Netherlands: 16 pts
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Norway: 14 pts
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Turkey: 12 pts
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Montenegro: 11 pts
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Latvia: 5 pts
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Gibraltar: 0 pts
Group H
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Croatia: 16 pts
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Russia: 16 pts
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Slovenia: 10 pts
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Slovakia: 9 pts
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Malta: 4 pts
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Cyprus: 4 pts
Group I
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England: 19 pts
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Albania: 15 pts
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Poland: 14 pts
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Hungary: 10 pts
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Andorra: 3 pts
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San Marino: 0 pts
Group J
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Germany: 18 pts
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North Macedonia: 12 pts
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Armenia: 12 pts
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Romania: 10 pts
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Iceland: 5 pts
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Liechtenstein: 1 pts
Top games to watch
North Macedonia vs Germany: Under Hansi Flick, Germany have enjoyed perfect form, racking up four wins from his first four games. However, while not many people see North Macedonia as a tough opponent, they will be the trickiest test for die Mannschaft so far under their new boss. The Lynxes are second in the table, sitting six points behind Neuer and Co, meaning a defeat would rule out a top-spot finish for North Macedonia, thus securing automatic qualification to Qatar 2022 for the four-time World Cup champions.
It should be noted that the last time these two sides met, Germany were handed an upsetting defeat. In fact, that is their only loss of the campaign, as the now retired Goran Pandev led his nation to a 2-1 triumph. The home side have lost only once so far and should head into this tie with confidence of pulling off the double over die Mannschaft.
Sweden vs Greece: As mentioned earlier, Sweden sit only a point behind Group B leaders Spain and given that La Furia Roja were involved in the UEFA Nations League final yesterday, which they lost 2-1 to France, Luis Enrique's side will not be in action over the midweek. This means the Scandinavians have the golden opportunity of leapfrogging the 2010 World Cup champions. Unfortunately, their opponents will be Greece, a nation keen on securing a playoffs berth at the very least. Piratiko are on nine points and thus trail Sweden by only three points. Victory over the home side would cut that deficit but it won't be an easy feat for the visitors.
England vs Hungary: While England have not mathematically confirmed their ticket to Qatar 2022, the automatic qualification is all but a given for the Three Lions. With 19 points under their belt, a four-point lead over second-placed Albania, and a 5-0 thrashing over Andorra in their most recent outing; Gareth Southgate's side are in a strong position to overcome Tuesday's opponents. However, it should not be forgotten how Hungary troubled Portugal, France, and Germany – three of the world's best national teams – in the Euro 2020 group stage. Can they frustrate the in-form England? Tune in to find out.
Portugal vs Luxembourg: While a clash with Luxembourg should not be a tricky 90 minutes of football for Portugal, this tie is a crucial one as it could see the 2016 European champions retake the top spot in Group A. While Cristiano and Co. have a game in hand, they cannot afford to slip up in this tie. Victory over their opponents could see them leapfrog Serbia given the mere one-point difference, but this will require the table-toppers to drop points at home to Azerbaijan, which is hard to see.
Who's in and who's out?
Germany: Robin Gosens and Ilkay Gundogan
Netherlands: Cody Gakpo
Croatia: Josip Juranović, Dejan Lovren, and Mateo Kovačić
Sweden: Victor Lindelof,
England: Reece James and Kalvin Phililips
Portugal: Rafa Silva, Domingos Duarte, Raphael Guerreiro, and Francisco Trincao; Diogo Jota (doubtful)
Full list of UEFA World Cup qualifiers on October 11-12, 2021
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