06.09. (Fri) 21:00 England - Moldova

England will be hopeful of a big victory against Moldova to build momentum ahead of next week's crucial 2014 World Cup qualifier away to Ukraine.



Roy Hodgson's men welcome Moldova to Wembley on Friday and are expected to record a resounding victory against the minnows.



England are unbeaten in their last six matches but are still in danger of missing next year's World Cup in Brazil.



They sit second in Group H, two points behind Montenegro with a game in hand, while Ukraine are snapping at their heels in third, just one point further back.

With the side who finishes first automatically qualifying, and the second being sent into the play-offs, Tuesday's qualifier in Kiev is particularly important.



And because of that England will look to win well against Moldova to boost their confidence.



Hodgson has selected a typically strong squad, with captain Steven Gerrard set to lead the team alongside the likes of goalkeeper Joe Hart and attacker Theo Walcott.



England do have a series of injury problems though, with Wayne Rooney (cut head) withdrawing from the squad, along with Liverpool's Glen Johnson and Manchester United's Phil Jones.



In-form striker Daniel Sturridge is also in the squad but is in doubt due to groin pain. Sturridge has scored five goals in his four matches for Liverpool this season.



Arsenal's Jack Wilshere is expected to be fit despite following stomach cramps last week, while Cardiff defender Steven Caulker could win his second cap after being called up as cover.



Moldova - ranked joint-123rd in the world, more than 100 places below England - will enter the match on the back of a three-match unbeaten run.



An excellent 1-1 home draw to Poland in Group H was followed by a 2-1 friendly win over Kyrgyzstan.



They also drew 1-1 at home to Andorra last month in another friendly thanks to Alexandru Dedov's equaliser.



They are expected to line up with a 4-5-1 formation and play for a point, but England should have too much quality for them.



The two sides last met in last September's reverse fixture, with England winning 5-0 in Chisinau.



Frank Lampard scored a double in that fixture, while Jermain Defoe, James Milner and Leighton Baines also netted.



England have won all three meetings between the two sides, with their last clash at Wembley ending in a 4-0 win to England in September 1997.

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06.09. (Fri) 21:00 Scotland - Belgium

Scotland will be hoping to continue the progress made under new manager Gordon Strachan when they face Belgium on Friday.



The Scots' chances of making it to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil have long since disappeared after a disastrous start to their qualifying campaign that cost former manager Craig Levein his job.



The former Dundee United boss was relieved of his duties in November after overseeing a run that sent Scotland slumping to the bottom of Uefa qualifying Group A.



Strachan subsequently took over as national team boss in January, following a spell out of the game.



And having already sown the first seeds of recovery with a shock 1-0 victory in Croatia and a creditable performance in a narrow 3-2 defeat to England last month, Strachan's arrival appears to be having the desired effect.



"I see it in him at every training session," said Norwich forward Robert Snodgrass ahead of Friday's qualifier against Belgium.



"He tells us, 'Listen, you are good enough to do this – or you wouldn't have been picked. I'm picking you because I believe in you.'



"Mentally and physically, we prepare for a game. You have to believe you can get a result. That’s the only way.



"There is [the conviction] that, when Scotland are going in against these big sides, we can genuinely get a result against them."



Strachan has added four players to his squad for the clash, following the withdrawals of James Morrison, Graham Dorrans, Allan McGregor and George Boyd.



The quartet have been replaced by midfield trio Craig Bryson, Chris Burke and Kevin Thomson, as well as defender Lee Wallace.



For the visitors, Chelsea's Eden Hazard missed training on Tuesday with an Achilles problem and faces a battle to be fit.



The 22-year-old midfielder sat out the session as a precaution, although he is still expected to feature in Friday's game.



Belgium arrive as a team in form, having strung together a run of six games unbeaten - stretching back to November last year.



Goals from Christian Benteke and Vincent Kompany led the table-toppers to a 2-0 win in the reverse fixture back in October, and Marc Wilmots' men will expect to maintain their march towards qualification for the finals, with Croatia also chasing top spot in the group.

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06.09. (Fri) 20:45 Ireland - Sweden

With both teams locked level on points in Group C, the clash between the Republic of Ireland and Sweden represents a must-win encounter for both sides.



While Germany lead the group, Austria, Sweden and Ireland are vying for the coveted play-off spot, each team level on 11 points, with Austria occupying second place due to their superior goal difference.



Ireland have history on their side, having not lost at home to Sweden since 1949, when they were beaten 3-1 in a 1950 World Cup qualifier at Dalymount Park. The last meeting between the sides in Dublin resulted in a 3-0 victory for the Irish, with goals from Damien Duff, Robbie Keane and Liam Miller securing the win.

Sweden's form away from home during this campaign has been inconsistent. Despite showing tremendous resilience to stage a comeback in the dramatic 4-4 draw against Germany in Berlin, the Swedes were beaten 2-1 by Austria in Vienna in June.



However, Erik Hamren's side will be comforted by the fact that Ireland's home form of late has also been questionable, with the Boys in Green suffering their worst ever home defeat in October 2012 - a 6-1 loss against group leaders Germany.



Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni has been handed an injury boost as Marc Wilson and first-choice goalkeeper David Forde have both regained fitness ahead of the clash with Sweden, while captain and talisman Robbie Keane also returns to the squad.



Queens Park Rangers centre back Richard Dunne is expected to make his first competitive international appearance since featuring against Italy at Euro 2012 14 months ago. John O'Shea is expected to partner the defender in the heart of defence as Trapattoni seeks to shackle Zlatan Ibrahimovic.



In the absence of Aiden McGeady, Norwich City winger Anthony Pilkington could be in line to make his first senior appearance for the Boys in Green after shaking off a knee injury, while James McCarthy is likely to partner Glenn Whelan in midfield.



Rasmus Elm is the most notable absentee for Erik Hamren's side ahead of this crucial Group C clash, while Anders Granqvist will miss the game through suspension.



Johan Elmander is expected to partner Zlatan Ibrahimovic in attack, while Spartak Moscow midfielder Kim Kallstrom returns to the squad after missing August's 4-2 friendly victory over Norway.

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06.09. (Fri) 20:45 Northern Ireland - Portugal

Portugal are hoping to be able to call on Cristiano Ronaldo as they look to take a step closer to World Cup qualification against Northern Ireland.



The Real Madrid winger sat out training earlier this week with a muscle problem, but he is still expected to feature at Windsor Park on Friday as Portugal go in search of a win that would maintain their position at the top of Group F.



Goalkeeper Beto and attacking midfielder Danny also missed training but they are expected to be fit for the clash, which forms the first part of a double-header that will also see Paulo Bento's side meet in a friendly with Brazil in Boston on September 10.



Bento has opted to recall Hugo Almeida after the striker missed the friendly with the Netherlands in August, while he has also called up Malaga left-back Vitorino Antunes and midfielders Josue and Andre Martins for a game that will go a long way towards deciding the qualifiers for the showpiece in Brazil next year.



Bento’s side currently hold a two-point lead over Russia but they have played a game more than Fabio Capello’s men, with both countries having enjoyed a 1-0 home win in the corresponding fixtures between the pair.



For Northern Ireland, meanwhile, their hopes of making the finals are all but over, although they will be keen to build on their shock 1-0 win over Russia in August.



Midfielder Chris Brunt returns after missing that clash through suspension, while Kyle Lafferty has recovered from an Achilles injury.



Manchester United defender Jonny Evans, who missed the last qualifier through illness, is vying for a place while boss Michael O’Neill has retained Michael O'Connor and Lee Hodson after they were called in as cover for the Russia clash.



Burnley left-back Daniel Lafferty is suspended for the visit of Portugal but will be available for the trip to Luxembourg on Tuesday.



O'Neill’s side have had a mixed qualifying campaign so far, with the win against Russia and an impressive 1-1 draw in Portugal being tempered by home draws with both Luxembourg and Azerbaijan.

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06.09. (Fri) 20:30 Finland - Spain

Spain moved one point ahead of second-placed France in Group I with a 1-0 away victory over Laurent Blanc's men in March, but must now take on a team against whom they dropped points earlier that month.



The Finns earned a respectable draw in Madrid as Teemu Pukki's goal cancelled out a Sergio Ramos effort, and they will hope to go one better when the teams meet again in Helsinki.



But Ramos is keen to avoid a similarly disappointing result this time around.



"Its clear that Finland are a team that surprised us because they closed up shop against us from the first minute, and although they didn't create too many chances managed to score against us," the Real Madrid defender said.



"That is a lesson we learned about keeping our concentration for the full 90 minutes because they were able to level the score with us on the break which made things difficult for us. But I think the positive thing is that we always learn from our mistakes.



"When you spend years winning matches and important titles it becomes clear that teams respect you. There's nothing we can do about that. Every team has its own philosophy or style of play, so we will try to open them up as much as possible to cause them problems and hopefully win the match."



Spain won all 10 of their qualification matches for the last World Cup, and did the same over eight fixtures to reach Euro 2012 - with both tournaments ending in victories.



And, although the possibility of pulling off a similar feat ahead of the 2014 event in Brazil is already gone, they will at least hope to preserve their undefeated status against Finland.



Vicente del Bosque's team go into the game having lost just once to Finland in seven previous meetings, with that defeat coming in the first-ever clash between the sides in a World Cup qualifier in 1969.



The last two games have ended in draws, while Spain and Finland have seen two and three of their respective Group I games finish all square.

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06.09. (Fri) 20:15 Georgia - France

France must bounce back from a damaging defeat to Spain when they face Georgia in World Cup qualifying on Friday.



Didier Deschamps' men occupied top spot going into their home fixture against the reigning world champions in March, and only needed to match the draw they earned in Spain to ensure matters stayed that way.



However, a Pedro goal gave the visitors victory at the Stade de France and ensured that they, rather than France, are now in pole position to automatically qualify for Brazil 2014.



France can still, of course, wrestle that position away from the Spaniards, but will need to capitalise on any slip-ups by putting away the likes of Georgia in their remaining fixtures.



Temuri Ketsbaia's men have picked up just four points from their five outings thus far, having beaten Belarus and earned an impressive away draw against Finland, and are likely to struggle against Deschamps' side.



The last meeting between the sides ended in a 3-1 win for France, with Olivier Giroud, Mathieu Valbuena and Franck Ribery grabbing the goals for the hosts in Paris.



Arsenal forward Giroud is in fine form coming into this game, and has notched three goals in as many Premier League outings this term - including in a 1-0 north London derby win over Tottenham at the weekend.



Deschamps will hope the former Montpellier forward can propel his team to victory again, with the possibility of securing the Group I play-off spot should Spain win their remaining fixtures.



Georgia, meanwhile, will look to avoid finishing bottom, with Belarus currently holding that unwanted distinction by virtue of goal difference.

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06.09. (Fri) 19:00 FYR Macedonia - Wales

Wales boss Chris Coleman insists Real Madrid's world-recording signing Gareth Bale is not fit enough to play 90 minutes in Friday's 2014 World Cup qualifier at Macedonia.



Bale joined the squad in Cardiff on Monday following his world-record £86 million transfer to the Bernabeu, but having not played for Tottenham since July, Coleman says he is unwilling to throw his star performer in at the deep end.



Wales' chances may be hampered somewhat as a result, with Bale having scored five of his country's last eight goals, but Coleman will not be taking any chances with the former Spurs man.



"If he is not ready we will not risk him, regardless of whether it is a world record fee," he said.



"We are aware a lot of people will want to see him play in the home game against Serbia [on Tuesday].



"But he has no chance of playing 90 minutes on Friday or on Tuesday."



Newcastle United defender Paul Dummett could be in line for a senior debut after featuring for his club side against Manchester City this season, while Cardiff City teenager Declan john is also in the squad for the first time.



Dummett's chances of appearing were boosted as Swansea City left-back Neil Taylor was forced to pull out of the squad due to a thigh injury. Joe Allen (hamstring) and Neil Eardley (knee) were also forced to withdraw.



For Macedonia, Aleksandar Todorovski misses out on a place in the squad due to injury, while Stefan Sprivoski has been left out due to a lack of playing time, having failed to feature for his club side, Borac Cacak of Serbia, so far this season.



Central defender Boban Grncarov returns, as do left-back Aleksandar Lazevski and attacking midfielder Darko Tasevski.



Macedonia currently sit bottom of Group A, with four points from six matches, two behind fourth-placed Wales, but coach Cedomir Janevski is looking at Friday's game – and Tuesday's visit of Scotland to Skopje – as a chance for his side to earn some points and climb the table.



"Before us are two very important but also difficult games," he said.



"It resumes our battle for a better final position in the standings. We do have a chance for the third place and that's a good motive for us.



"Our goal is to move up the table. Wales are a serious team, with exceptional quality and fighting spirit. They have a lot of players from the Premier League so we have to show them respect."

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06.09. (Fri) 20:45 Serbia - Croatia

Although Serbia are all but out of the race for a ticket for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Friday's qualifier at home against Croatia remains one of the most important games in their history due to the fierce rivalry between both countries.



Over two decades ago, the two countries were going head-to-head as well, but in a far scarier arena than the football pitch, when the nation which bound them together for over 60 years - Yugoslavia - broke up and ended in a bloody war which started in 1991.



Those who had been football rivals became enemies in battle, leaving deep scars which will undoubtedly rear their ugly heads on Friday, when the two clash in Belgrade.



Both sides met for the first time in 1999, when they were paired together in the qualification for Euro 2000 in Netherlands and Belgium. After a scoreless draw in Belgrade in August, the return ended in a 2-2 draw in Zagreb and current Serbia boss Sinisa Mihajlovic has not forgotten about the impact the game had.



"The stadium in Zagreb was like a volcano. There were police everywhere. The war between the 2 countries was still fresh in everyone’s minds. There were lots of former team-mates who had played alongside each other for Yugoslavia now facing each other," Mihajlovic told La Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this year when Croatia hosted Serbia.



Despite his emotional memories, the 44-year-old feels the time has come to forget about the past, though, and he warned his player that he would not accept any non-sporting behaviour ahead of the away game back in March.



"If one of my players is sent off for non-sporting behaviour, and it sets off the crowd, then he’ll never play for the national side again. The whole world will be watching. The time has come to forget about the past, to offer a hand of friendship and look towards the future."



Regardless of Mihajlovic's commendable attitude, though, there's little doubt that Friday's encounter will be yet another tense encounter.



"These are the kind of matches you will remember your whole life," Croatia and Bayern Munich striker Mario Mandzukic. said



"Everybody is talking about it, asking and begging us to win, and we can't wait to go out there and play it."



Whereas Serbia have already all but given up hopes of making it to Brazil with just seven points from as many games, Croatia still have every chance of making it to next year's tournament as they are trailing section leaders Belgium by just three points.



That's not to say that the Serbians will be handing out any presents, however, as for the divisions between the two countries, they will be fighting for the same things: pride and victory.

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