Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium

"Qualifying for Euro 2016 was a major achievement for Wales and Northern Ireland, who ended absences of 58 and 30 years from major tournaments by doing so.

"They meet at the Cardiff City Stadium tonight in a warm-up match for this summer's tournament, and the prospect of taking on Europe's elite is tantalisingly close.

"The Football Association of Wales is fanning the flames of excitement by giving away official Euro 2016 sticker albums with the first 3,000 match programmes sold outside the ground.

"I got two Claudio Marchisio stickers in my first pack. Swapsies, anyone?"

Image source, Dafydd Pritchard

However you want to follow tonight's match, we have it covered. You can watch live BBC Two Wales and BBC Two Northern Ireland coverage, listen via BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Radio Wales or BBC Radio Ulster, and you can follow our live text commentary at the same time.

The TV coverage is available to watch at the top of this page from 19:30 GMT.

You'll probably have heard the sad news that one of football's greats, Johan Cruyff, has passed away after a battle with cancer.

You can hear more from the likes of former Dutch international striker Patrick Kluivert, and commentators John Motson and John Murray, in a special programme on Radio 5 live Sport, starting now. 

Image source, AFP

Without eight players due to injury and illness, including Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, Wales boss Chris Coleman makes five changes from November’s friendly defeat by the Netherlands. Out go Ben Davies, Joe Allen, Andy King, Neil Taylor and Jonny Williams and in come Adam Matthews, David Vaughan, George Williams, David Cotterill and Sam Vokes.

Wales XI: Hennessey, Gunter, Matthews, A Williams, Chester, Ledley, Vaughan, Cotterill, G Williams, Lawrence, Vokes.   

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill hands a debut to QPR striker Conor Washington, who caps a remarkable rise from life as a postman at non-league club St Ives to a first international start - via spells at Newport County and Peterborough. He comes in for Jamie Ward, and the only other change from November’s 1-0 friendly win against Latvia sees Paddy McNair replace the injured Chris Baird.

Northern Ireland XI: McGovern, McLaughlin, McAuley, Evans, Cathcart, Dallas, McNair, Davis, Norwood, Lafferty, Washington.

Image source, Getty Images

The door might be open to one of two lesser-known players but there is probably no-one for whom this game is more important than Kyle Lafferty. 

Despite scoring seven goals to help Northern Ireland reach the European Championship, he's completed only 45 minutes for Norwich this season. 

Alas there is good news for him and Northern Ireland fans. Today he signed a loan deal with Birmingham until the end of the season so what better way to impress your new employers than bang a couple in tonight? His last match for Norwich was on 9 January.

Image source, Getty Images

Now I know what you're thinking. Gareth Bale is absent, both sides want to avoid picking up any more injuries before Euro 2016 and Italy host Spain in the evening's stand-out international friendly.

But with both teams set to play in their first ever European Championship, this is a golden chance for fringe players to force their way into their manager's thinking.

Step forward QPR striker Conor Washington, who makes his debut tonight. Just over four years ago he was a postman in St Ives but now stands on the verge of making an historic Euros, despite having never been to Northern Ireland. 

Image source, Getty Images

The last time these two countries played in Wales, it was a right old ding-dong. The World Cup qualifier finished 2-2 but there were almost as many red cards, with Robbie Savage, Michael Hughes and David Healy all receiving their marching orders.

Fast forward 12 years and Wales boss Chris Coleman insists it could be "feisty" again tonight. But with both teams having one eye on their first ever European Championship, will players be willing to put their bodies on the line in the same manner?

I thinks Hughes was telling Savage to "Fink about what he was doing" in the above picture!