Tom English
Chief sports writer, BBC Scotland

Scotland are on a nice run, but nothing they have done in racking up 10 points in their past four games can be seen as out of the ordinary. Beating England would have been one of those marquee victories that all teams of Scotland's make-up require if they're going to make the play-offs. Beating Slovakia falls into the same category.

Strachan's team are in a better, more confident place than they were when toiling at Hampden against Lithuania and being routed in Slovakia last year, but the recovery is still a soft one and it needs the ballast of a box-office win.

There's no safety net this time, no opportunity to talk up a draw as a good point. It's win or the dream of a shot at World Cup qualification through the play-offs disappears over the horizon. Again.

It's the type of game that Scotland have to come through successfully if the talk of a revival is to be seen as anything other than a bottle of smoke.

Image source, Reuters

Read more from Tom here

Alistair Bruce-Ball
BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, BBC Sport

My taxi driver told me that every German fan that's got into his cab today has been singing "Will Grigg's on fire" to him at the tops of their voices. There is a real bond that's been formed between the fans of these two countries after their game and that song in Paris last year and they've had a game of football today to raise money for charity - Northern Ireland were 3-1 down before rallying to earn a 3-3 draw. They've also got an Oktoberfest event on in Belfast at the moment so I'm told the fans are congregating there for a few pre-match beers before making their way to the ground together. All of which means it should be an absolutely cracking atmosphere inside Windsor Park this evening.

With just one defeat and only two goals conceded in eight matches, Northern Ireland - second in Group C - have more points than some group leaders.

Nine clear of third-placed Azerbaijan, they are guaranteed a top-two place as they look to reach their first World Cup since 1986.

Automatic qualification seems unlikely though - they need to beat Germany and Norway, and hope the Germans lose their final match against Azerbaijan. The reigning champions need just a draw in Belfast to top the group.

Image source, BBC Sport

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Alistair Bruce-Ball
BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, BBC Sport

Tonight is Michael O'Neill's 50th game in charge of Northern Ireland and you can only admire the fantastic job he has done.

It hasn't been easy - he didn't manage a win in his first nine games in charge and only won one of his first 18, including a humiliating 3-2 defeat to Luxembourg, but since the start of the qualification campaign for Euro 2016 he hasn't looked back.

Northern Ireland are unbeaten in their last nine competitive internationals at home, they've won their last five games in this group without conceding a goal and they've got a real chance of making it to their first World Cup finals since 1986.

Just eight teams have qualified for Russia so far, including Russia themselves.

Here's the grateful eight:

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• Russia (hosts)
• Belgium
• Iran
• South Korea
• Japan
• Brazil
• Mexico
• Saudi Arabia

There are a whole batch of World Cup qualifiers taking place tonight, in Europe and beyond, but these are the key three we are keeping a close eye on...

Image source, Reuters

Northern Ireland v Germany

England v Slovenia

Scotland v Slovakia

All kick off at 19:45 BST. I'll endeavour to only get Slovenia and Slovakia mixed up once or twice over the course of the evening.

Image source, Getty Images

It's a key night for World Cup qualification hopes.

England can secure their place at next summer's Russian jamboree this evening, while Scotland can keep their hopes very much alive.

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Northern Ireland are already assured of a top-two finish but still have a nervy wait to find out if they are in the play-offs.

Confused? You will be by full-time.

Image source, get

So положите телефон на тихий, get the закуски lined up, and get ready to праздновать.

ура!