Key qualifiers in battle to party in Paris next year

UEFA’S decision to switch to a 24-team European Championship has given more teams than ever before the chance to qualify for a major finals and crunch clashes will be taking place across the continent over the next few days with everyone aiming to be partying in Paris next summer.

None more so is that the case than a fascinating Group D where Germany, Scotland, Ireland and Poland are jostling for two automatic spots, while one of the quartet won’t even have the consolation of a play-off for the majority of third-place finishers.

Scotland and Ireland sit third and fourth respectively, but both have winnable fixtures away to Georgia and Gibraltar that should allow them to make ground on the front two who meet in Frankfurt on Friday.

The Scots are generally available at 10-11 to qualify for the finals, while Ireland are 13-5 with Coral to make a strong recovery having dropped costly points against Scotland and Poland.

Germany are 1-6 to finish top of the tight section and the world champions get the opportunity to hit the summit for the first time in this campaign if they can beat Poland, who are 6-1 to go through as group winners and 2-9 with Coral to qualify.

If results go against them, Germany could find themselves down in third place and with a difficult trip to Scotland to come on Monday but for now Joachim Low’s men are still 1-50 to qualify for Euro 2016.

Robbie Keane scored a hat-trick inside the opening 20 minutes the last time he played against Gibraltar and Ireland’s record-breaking captain is 5-1 with Paddy Power to repeat the three-goal haul when the countries meet in Portugal.

The much-travelled 35-year-old has been relentless for LA Galaxy in recent months, scoring successive hat-tricks against Toronto and San Jose Earthquakes in July and will be licking his lips at the prospect of tackling the international minnows having disappointed in recent performances for the boys in green.

Northern Ireland face a crunch clash away to Faroe Islands as they bid to qualify for Euro 2016 and Michael O’Neill’s side are 5-1 with bet365 to win Group F and 2-7 with Hills and Betfred to make it through to the finals in France next summer.

Kyle Lafferty has been the man behind Northern Ireland’s rise up the standings - he has scored five goals in the campaign the same as Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic - and the target man is 13-8 with Betfair to notch again.