And that, for me, is that. It’s been a blast. I leave you with a handy link to the latest qualifying tables. Bye!
Updated
Kyle Lafferty has also been talking about Northern Ireland’s big win:
We knew it was going to be difficult. They’re a team that sits in and lets us have plenty of the ball, but we got an early goal and forced them to come out and play. I think it was a proper Northern Ireland performance. Six, seven years ago this was a game we’d struggle in, but the last four, five years we’ve been winning these games. I think everyone wants to play for Michael O’Neill and that’s important, and it’s good for him that he’s got 16, 17 players that want to sweat blood for him.
We’ve worked on set pieces all week. We knew Josh had a long throw-in and I finally got in there and got the goal, and what we’ve worked on all week has paid off.
Here’s a match report from Windsor Park:
Chris Brunt has had a quick chat about Northern Ireland’s evening:
It was a good performance. We knew we were going to have to work pretty hard. For periods in the second half they had a lot of the ball, but we were dangerous when we got the ball forwards, and got what we deserved. It wasn’t a great start for me, getting smashed in the head, but I enjoyed the game tonight. It was a good win, I was delighted to be a part of it and hopefully we’ll kick on.
And it’s all over in Belfast, where Northern Ireland have beaten Azerbaijan 4-0 to record a sixth successive home win for the first time in all of history!
Updated
Also finished:
Slovakia 4-0 Lithuania
Denmark 3-1 Kazakhstan
Peeeep! It's all over!
Some final scores, then:
San Marino 0-8 Germany
England 3-0 Scotland
France 2-1 Sweden
Czech Republic 2-1 Norway
Christian Eriksen has another goal for the Danes, making the score Denmark 4-1 Kazakhstan in stoppage time.
Lewandowski has scored a second in stoppage time, from the penalty spot this time, and it’s now Romania 0-3 Poland
I’m with Keith on this one. It’s been a thoroughly dominant display.
Fabulous performance tonight from Northern Ireland. Made Azerbaijan look very average #GAWA #Russia2018
— Keith Gillespie (@KeithGillespie7) November 11, 2016
Bournemouth’s Joshua King has scored to make it Czech Republic 2-1 Norway, but the Norwegians have just three minutes to find an equaliser.
It’s San Marino 0-8 Germany, Kevin Volland with the latest. San Marino’s qualifying hopes are hanging by a thread here.
Northern Ireland have a 4-0 lead over Azerbaijan! And it’s Chris Brunt who, from just outside the left-hand corner of the penalty area sends the ball low and hard across goal and in at the far post! A goal from open play, of all things!
Updated
Now it’s Robert Lewandowski himself who’s showing some flair, scoring a lovely second goal for Poland in Romania, where it’s now Romania 0-2 Poland
Updated
San Marino have scored! In their own net! Kevin Volland crosses low and hard from inside the penalty area, and Mattia Stefanelli can’t get out of the way before the ball hits his shin and flies into the net. San Marino 0-7 Germany
Elsewhere, it’s Denmark 3-1 Kazakhstan, Peter Ankersen with the latest for the home side.
Updated
Serge Gnabry has got himself a hat-trick! It’s a lovely chipped pass, San Marino have given up on marking altogether, and Gnabry’s sidefoot volley nestles inside the far post! San Marino 0-6 Germany
Updated
Here’s that Lewandowski-neighbouring flare explosion in full:
BEZ KOMENTARZA....
— PolishFootballVideos (@PolishFootVideo) November 11, 2016
Rumunia 0:1 Polska #POLRUM @WeszloCom @Emishor pic.twitter.com/gfCQAYLSU8
Northern Ireland 3-0 Azerbaijan! That’s game, set and match for the Northern Irish, and semi-inevitably it’s from another set piece. A corner from the right this time, and McLaughlin meets it at the near post, and from following his eyes after he makes contact I don’t think it went where he wanted it to go at all – I think he was trying to angle it across goal – but that doesn’t matter much, as it flew absolutely perfectly into the top corner at the near post!
And Jonas Hector has put Germany 5-0 up. I’m not sure San Marino are going to come back from this.
Updated
Goal for France! And their nightmare night is looking sunnier now! It should have been disallowed, mind. It’s a cross from the right towards Griezmann, who was half a yard offside. The keeper comes, runs into Griezmann, fumbles the ball and Payet turns it in!
Updated
Another good chance for Azerbaijan in Northern Ireland and it falls to Dashderimov, who takes a touch on the edge of the area, opening up space for the shot, but then spoons it over the bar with his unfavoured right peg!
Goal! England lead Scotland 3-0, Gary Cahill heading in Rooney’s corner, and Germany are 4-0 up in San Marino, Gnabry scoring from a Kimmich cross.
The Romania v Poland game was stopped for a while as fans threw flares onto the pitch.
BREAKING | Game stopped in Bucharest after a flare exploded right in front of Lewandowski! #Bayern
— Emanuel Roşu (@Emishor) November 11, 2016
Game back on. Almost 10 minutes of interruption in Romania's best moment of the game...
— Emanuel Roşu (@Emishor) November 11, 2016
And France equalise within two minutes! It’s another free kick, this time from the left wing, and it’s crossed by Payet and comes I think off Pogba on its way into the net! 1-1!
Updated
Goal in France! And Sweden have it! They won a free kick, 25 yards out or so, Forsberg takes it and the ball flies straight to the spot that Lloris should really have been occupying if he hadn’t headed off in the other direction for little obvious reason!
Great save from McGovern! Azerbaijan’s first proper chance of the game ends in frustration as Yilmaz’s effort is saved.
Two more second-half goals: Benjamin Verbic has given Slovenia a 1-0 lead in Malta, and Jaromir Zmrhal has put the Czechs 2-0 up at home to Norway.
And England run down the other end and score! Sterling runs down the left and tees up an overlapping Rose, whose cross is headed in by an unmarked Lallana!
Scotland miss a fabulous chance moments into the second half, James Forrest shooting wide, and then moments later a Snodgrass shot from an excellent position is blocked by Stones.
The players are back out (except in Belfast). More action on its way!
An email from Phil Withall. “Kyle Lafferty has scored 9 goals for Northern Ireland as a Norwich player,” he notes. “He’s scored once for Norwich in the same period. I may not be the only one to find this statistic slightly odd.” It is indeed unusual, though at this rate Daniel Sturridge will soon be a specialist international striker as well.
And the half-time whistle has now gone in Belfast, thanks to that Chris Brunt injury the last of the games to end. I’ll be back shortly for half two.
Germany have another goal disallowed for offside, Mario Gomez the disappointed goalscorer this time, but there was no doubt about that one. It’s now half time in San Marino.
“Giroud is running about with all the poise of a Guardsman who’s lost his horse but I don’t think he’s actually touched a ball yet,” reports Charles Antaki, who’s watching the action at the Stade de France, where the score remains goalless.
Updated
Germany have put the ball in the back of the net again, but this time Müller’s strike was disallowed for offside, which he seemed pretty unhappy about.
Goal for Northern Ireland! Again it comes from a set piece: Chris Brunt’s delivery from the right-wing free kick was superb, and McAuley heads in at the far post!
Double goalflash! The 36th minute have broad goals in Denmark, where Christian Eriksen’s penalty has put the home side 2-1 up against Kazakhstan, and in Slovakia, where Martin Skrtel has given the hosts a 3-0 lead.
Northern Ireland are absolutely dominating their game. There haven’t been a lot of clear chances, but they’re attacking pretty remorselessly.
Germany have been made to wait for goal No3, but the wait is over, as Jonas Hector’s run from deep isn’t tracked, he’s picked out by a short pass and pokes into the corner from 15 yards.
Scotland have a great chance to equalise at Wembley, but Hanley gets his free header all wrong, and misses the target very comprehensively.
Brunt is being rebandaged, as his first wrap was experiencing some seepage.
GOAL! Northern Ireland lead! And Kyle Lafferty is the scorer! Another long throw from the right flank, it’s flocked on, and Lafferty beats three Azeris to the ball and turns it in!
Updated
And England are beating Scotland, Sturridge doing rather well to turn Walker’s driven cross goalwards with his head.
Another decent chance for Northern Ireland, but Magennis blasts his shot straight at the goalkeeper, and he beats it away!
Perhaps those video cameras were a wise precaution after all …
Big fight between the Polish Ultras and the Romanian ultras from the same stand!!!
— Emanuel Roşu (@Emishor) November 11, 2016
Grosicki has given Poland a 1-0 lead in Romania, and Krmencik is responsible for the Czech Republic’s similar advantage over Norway.
Oooh! San Marino had a corner, and it’s swung in, flicked on by a defender and could have gone anywhere! Where it went, though, is wide, off someone else’s shoulder.
Slovakia are 2-0 up at home to Lithauania, Nemec and Kuka scoring in the 12th and 15th minutes respectively.
Updated
Elsewhere, it’s Denmark 1-1 Kazakhstan, where Cornelius put Denmark ahead in the 15th minute and Suyumbayev equalised within two minutes.
It’s also very wet at Windsor Park. Very soggy indeed. It’ll be interesting to see the pitch if it carries on like this for an hour or so.
Updated
Brunt is now sitting up, and the stretcher that had been brought on is being taken off empty. His header is also very well wrapped.
Medvedev, who challenged Brunt for the header, gets back up after a bit of treatment with his head now wrapped in bandages. Brunt remains down.
And then another half-chance for Northern Ireland, as a long throw bounces its way through to Brunt on the six yard line, but though he tries very hard to put some pace on his header, he can’t get enough. And the direction isn’t up to much either, and the ball floats into the keeper’s arms. And Brunt seems quite sore at the end of it.
Meanwhile Northern Ireland could also have scored, from a lovely left-footed, right wing cross, which Ferguson, just beyond the far post, sidefooted into the side netting.
What a chance for Sweden! They won a free kick on the left wing, swung it into the mixer and it landed on the toe of a yellow-shirted bloke, about three yards from goal, but he gets no power – and I mean no power, the ball basically stopped – on his effort.
… and they very nearly had a third another minute later. This could get ugly.
Into the ninth minute, and Germany take a two-goal lead. Gnabry didn’t mis-hit this one, running onto a loose ball inside the penalty area and lashing in from 12 yards.
Now Germany have scored! It took them almost exactly six minutes, but then the ball was chipped into the area, where Khedira controlled it, ushered it around the keeper and tapped in.
Updated
Five minutes played, and the best Germany have done is a low, bobbly, mis-hit Gnabry shot, which was easily saved.
Meanwhile in France, Paul Pogba has the first shooting chance of the evening, but his left-foot shot from 22 yards flies well wide.
It’s raining pretty hard in Serravalle, where Germany are playing San Marino. Could the weather help level this particularly wonky playing field?
In the first minute, Chris Brunt tracks back well to head the ball behind with Sheydaev lurking behind him and preparing for what would otherwise have been a pretty straightforward chance.
Kick off! They’re under way! Or at least some of them are!
There are minutes’ silence being observed not just in Northern Ireland and at Wembley, but also in France, where the first anniversary of the Paris attacks falls on Sunday.
Players are out and anthems being sung. Action imminent!
Approaching kick-off, and across Europe scenes of pre-match jubilation are spontaneously breaking out (threatening balaclava-clad policeman videoing it all not compulsory).
Tonight’s teams
I’m going to put some of tonight’s starting line-ups in here. Let me know if I’ve missed out one you’d like.
France v Sweden
France: Lloris, Evra, Varane, Pogba, Griezmann, Payet, Giroud, Matuidi, Sissoko, Sidibé, Koscielny. Subs: Costil, Mandanda, Corchia, Rami, Gameiro, Ousmane Dembélé, Fekir, Kanté, Rabiot, Digne, Lemar, Mangala.
Sweden: Olsen, Lindelöf, Granqvist, Augustinsson, Ekdal, Forsberg, Guidetti, Johansson, Krafth, Toivonen, Durmaz. Subs: Carlgren, Nordfeldt, Wahlqvist, Larsson, Rohdén, Thelin, Jansson, Hiljemark, Wendt, Claesson, Nyman.
Referee: Milorad Mazic (Serbia)
San Marino v Germany
San Marino: Aldo Simoncini, Fabio Vitaioli, Davide Simoncini, Matteo Vitaioli, Gasperoni, Stefanelli, Zafferani, Marco Berardi, Cesarini, Tosi, Palazzi. Subs: Manzaroli, Benedetti, Valentini, Brolli, Domeniconi, Selva, Della Valle, Cervellini, D’Addario, Filippo Berardi, Hirsch, Mazza.
Germany: Ter Stegen, Hector, Hummels, Khedira, Gnabry, Müller, Henrichs, Kimmich, Götze, Gündogan, Gomez. Subs: Leno, Mustafi, Höwedes, Gerhardt, Goretzka, Meyer, Rudy, Weigl, Tah, Volland.
Referee: Artyom Kuchin (Kazakhstan).
Northern Ireland v Azerbaijan
Northern Ireland: McGovern, McLaughlin, Ferguson, McAuley, Johnny Evans, Davis, Lafferty, Brunt, Corry Evans, Norwood, Magennis. Subs: Carson, Mannus, Hodson, McGinn, Grigg, Boyce, McGivern, McNair, Hughes, Paton, Lund, Flanagan.
Azerbaijan: Agayev, Garayev, Mirzabekov, Medvedev, Hüseynov, Gurbanov, Makhmudov, Amerguliyev, Sheydaev, Dashderimov, Ismayilov. Subs: Nazirov, Agayev, Pashayev, Abdullayev, Eddy, Alaskarov, Yilmaz, Nazarov, Mammadov, Abisov, Guliyev, Ramazanov.
Referee: Clément Turpin (France).
Romania v Poland
Romania: Tatarusanu, Benzar, Chiriches, Grigore, Tosca, Hoban, Marin, Popa, Stanciu, Chipciu, Stancu. Subs: Pantilimon, Moti, Andone, Maxim, Ivan, Keseru, Latovlevici, Bicfalvi, Prepelita, Enache, Sapunaru, Lung.
Poland: Fabianski, Piszczek, Glik, Pazdan, Jedrzejczyk, Krychowiak, Blaszczykowski, Grosicki, Zielinski, Linetty, Lewandowski. Subs: Szczesny, Bereszynski, Maczynski, Jodlowiec, Teodorczyk, Goralski, Sadlok, Peszko, Wszolek, Lewczuk, Wilczek, Boruc.
Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia).
Slovakia v Lithuania
Slovakia: Kozacik, Pekarik, Skrtel, Durica, Hubocan, Weiss, Kucka, Skriniar, Hamsik, Mak, Nemec. Subs: Novota, Sabo, Gregus, Kiss, Bero, Lobotka, Hrosovsky, Salata, Svento, Duris, Holubek, Dubravka.
Lithuania: Setkus, Vaitkunas, Girdvainis, Freidgeimas, Andriuskevicius, Novikovas, Zulpa, Kuklys, Cernych, Slivka, Valskis. Subs: Zubas, Linas Klimavicius, Slavickas, Grigaravicius, Cesnauskis, Chvedukas, Arunas Klimavicius, Ruzgis, Paulius, Luksa, Gertmonas.
Referee: Tasos Sidiropoulos (Greece).
Czech Republic v Norway
Czech Republic: Vaclik, Kaderabek, Sivok, Brabec, Novak, Droppa, Krejci, Dockal, Horava, Zmrhal, Krmencik. Subs: Koubek, Gebre Selassie, Kalas, Barak, Skalak, Pudil, Pavelka, Kopic, Suchy, Schick, Skoda, Pavlenka.
Norway: Jarstein, Elabdellaoui, Hovland, Forren, Aleesami, Skjelbred, Tettey, Johansen, Berget, Henriksen, King. Subs: Nyland, Strandberg, Nordtveit, Soderlund, Elyounoussi, Daehli, Svensson, Linnes, Helland, Jenssen, Diomande, Grytebust.
Referee: Bas Nijhuis (Holland).
England v Scotland
England: Hart, Rose, Stones, Cahill, Walker, Dier, Henderson, Lallana, Rooney, Sterling, Sturridge. Subs: Heaton, Clyne, Walcott, Jagielka, Bertrand, Townsend, Kane, Vardy, Rashford, Wilshere, Lingard, Pickford.
Scotland: Gordon, Anya, Wallace, Hanley, Berra, Morrison, Brown, Darren Fletcher, Forrest, Snodgrass, Griffiths. Subs: Marshall, Chris Martin, Russell Martin, Naismith, Steven Fletcher, McArthur, Bannan, Burke, Ritchie, Kingsley, Paterson, Hamilton.
Referee: Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey).
Denmark v Kazakhstan
Denmark: Ronnow, Ankersen, Kjaer, Bjelland, Durmisi, Kvist Jorgensen, Delaney, Eriksen, Poulsen, Nicolai Jorgensen, Cornelius. Subs: Hansen, Vestergaard, Braithwaite, Fischer, Mathias Zanka Jorgensen, Nielsen, Dolberg, Larsen, Wass, Schone, Hojbjerg, Lossl.
Kazakhstan: Pokatilov, Suyumbayev, Akhmetov, Logvinenko, Shomko, Maliy, Baizhanov, Mukhutdinov, Muzhikov, Khizhnichenko, Islamkhan. Subs: Bakbaev, Amirseitov, Abdulin, Nurybekov, Tunggyshbayev, Zhalmukan, Tolebek, Moldakaraev, Valiullin, Murtazaev, Sartakov, Otarbayev.
Referee: Alon Yefet (Israel).
Updated
Brilliant drama! Armenia have scored a winner with five seconds of the three minutes of stoppage time to play to complete a comeback from a 2-0 half-time deficit and beat Montenegro 3-2!
Hello world!
So without further ado, I present tonight’s European World Cup qualifying fixtures in full:
Group A
France v Sweden
Group C
San Marino v Germany
Northern Ireland v Azerbaijan
Czech Republic v Norway
Group E
Denmark v Kazakhstan
Romania v Poland
(Plus Armenia v Montenegro, which is about to finish)
Group F
Malta v Slovenia
Slovakia v Lithuania
England v Scotland
Plus from elsewhere in planet football, there’s the tail end of Libya v Tunisia, and the early stages of Honduras v Panama. It is sure, in short, to be an exciting evening, so hunker down, huddle round your laptop/tablet/phone/desktop/other device and let’s share these specials times together, shall we?
For as the great Celine Dion once said, and these are words I think we should all carry close to our hearts this evening, when they are perhaps more pertinent than they have ever been – and they have always been quite pertinent:
These are the special times
Times we’ll remember
These are the precious times
The tender times we’ll hold in our hearts forever
These are the sweetest times
These times together
And through it all, one thing will always be true
The special times are the times I share with you
