Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's huge Euro 2016 qualifier between Scotland and the Republic of Ireland at Celtic Park. Both of these teams have realistic ambitions of qualifying for the tournament in France and, despite good starts, tonight's match could have a telling impact on their chances of finishing inside the top three. Victory would be massive for either side, so we should have a good game on our hands! Let's start with a look at the hosts...

Scotland have shown huge improvement under Gordon Strachan, particularly over the past year or so. They would have been disappointed to have missed out on this summer's World Cup in Brazil, but they have made a promising start to qualification for the Euros and will fancy their chances of sneaking a place on the plane to France despite being involved in a very tough group.

They have picked up four points from their opening three games in Group D, which is certainly not a bad total considering they have already faced the two teams expected to occupy the top two places at the end of the campaign. Gordon Strachan's side put in a fine performance against Germany in their opening Group D match, but ultimately came away with nothing following a 2-1 loss to the world champions.

They did pick up a point against group leaders Poland last time out, however, and it could have even been more. They recovered from conceding the first goal to take a 2-1 lead at one point, only for Milik to equalise in the 76th minute to ensure that the spoils were shared. Poland have certainly made a statement in the early matches, including a win over Germany, so for Scotland to have been the only side to take points off them so far is a big achievement.

Indeed, their improvement over the past year is clearly represented in their results, which have been very impressive. Only Germany have beaten Scotland in their last nine outings, a run that stretches back to September of last year. During that time they have picked up victories over the likes of Croatia and Poland, the latter of which was in a friendly, so Strachan has certainly fashioned a side that can mix it with teams regarded to be stronger than his.

Strachan's success seems to be based on a solid defence, with Scotland a lot more difficult to break down than they once were. Indeed, in their last nine matches they have kept five clean sheets, including those victories over Croatia and Poland. In Group D, only minnow Gibraltar have conceded more, but Scotland have still only let in four goals in their three matches, which is the same amount as Germany have shipped.

Speaking of clean sheets, it is now three games without conceding in a row at home for Scotland. That, of course, means that they haven't been beaten in front of their own fans in that time, and their home record is actually very impressive even spanning the pre-Strachan era. They have lost just two of their last 13 matches at home, a run that stretches back more than four years to October 2010. One of those defeats did come to a fellow home nation in Wales, though, so Scotland will be wary of Ireland tonight.

Indeed, while it is not Hampden Park, Celtic Park certainly provides manager Gordon Strachan with some familiar surroundings. The Scotland boss spent a successful stint in charge of Celtic here, during which time he actually signed and managed Roy Keane - now Republic of Ireland's assistant manager.

He is not the only one who will feel at home here tonight, though. A large contingent of the Ireland set-up have played or do play for Celtic, which is a Scottish club with a long and strong bond with the Irish. Martin O'Neill, of course, was in charge of the club for a while, and the likes of Robbie Keane, McGeady, Given and Murphy have all played for the Bhoys, while Stokes still does play for them.

It is unlikely that they will get a particularly warm reception in front of a Scotland crowd rather than a Celtic crowd, however. It should be a fairly hostile environment, which will test Ireland well following a fine start to their own Group D campaign. At the start of the day they were joint top of the group, although they have since slipped three points behind courtesy of Poland's 4-0 victory over Georgia this afternoon.

The pressure is on to keep pace with the front-runners, then, and only a win will let them do that tonight. Poland and Germany are expected to fill the top two places in the group at the end of the campaign, which means that Scotland and Ireland are likely to battle it out for third. Victory for Ireland tonight would increase the gap between the two teams to six points, which would put the advantage very much in Martin O'Neill's hands.

They remain unbeaten in Group D so far, despite coming up against their toughest test last time out. Germany looked to be edging to a 1-0 victory in Gelsenkirchen, but there was to be a fairytale ending for a certain centurion. John O'Shea was the unlikely hero on his 100th Ireland cap, netting a 94th-minute equaliser to rescue a point for his side against the world champions and keeping his side joint top. It was a superb result for the visitors, and a similar performance tonight could be enough for them to come away with all of the points.

Although both they and Poland have been helped largely by big victories over the whipping boys of the group Gibraltar, Ireland's tally of 10 goals in their three matches is still impressive and will please O'Neill. Keane is obviously the focal point of the attack, but the likes of O'Shea and McGeady have shown that Ireland have goals throughout the team at the moment. They have also been strong at the back, with no side having conceded fewer than Ireland's two goals in their opening three matches.

They come into this match having not lost any of their last four matches, since a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Portugal on June. They have only lost one of their last seven too, a sign that they are really beginning to find their feet under O'Neill and Roy Keane. Away from home there is plenty of room for improvement, though. They are actually unbeaten in their last five away outings, but four of those have been draws and they have only won one of their last 11 games on their travels. Perhaps an even bigger concern is that they have scored just five goals during that poor run.

O'Neill will be hoping that recent off-field issues don't play a part for his side tonight. Roy Keane, who was never far from the headlines during his playing career, once again drew accusations of a loss of temper yesterday. It was alleged that the assistant manager was involved in an altercation with a fan outside the team hotel, but O'Neill and the FAI have given their backing to the former Manchester United skipper.

TEAM NEWS: Right, the teams are in, and there are three changes for Scotland as Hanley, Robertson and Mulgrew come into the side. Ireland, meanwhile, make six changes, the biggest of which sees record scorer Robbie Keane dropped to the bench. Full team news for both sides coming right up...

SCOTLAND STARTING XI: Marshall; Whittaker, R.Martin, Hanley, Robertson; Maloney, Mulgrew, Brown; S.Fletcher, Naismith, Anya

SCOTLAND SUBS: Gordon, C.Martin, Dorrans, Bannan, Greer, D.Fletcher, Burke, Gilks, Russell, May

IRELAND STARTING XI: Forde; Coleman, Ward, O'Shea, Keogh; McGeady, Hendrick, McClean, Gibson; Long, Walters

IRELAND SUBS: Randolph, Christie, Given, Clark, Pearce, Meyler, Pilkington, Brady, Quinn, Keane, McGoldrick, Murphy

What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, for Scotland it is no surprise to see Steven Fletcher leading the line following his recent exploits for Sunderland. The striker, who was completely out of favour with Scotland under Craig Levein, has been fairly hit and miss at times this season, but when he is on form he is a real handful. He has helped himself to a couple of braces at club level this season, and now it is time for him to improve his international scoring record. Former Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy said this week that Fletcher is good enough for a top four club, so if he can find that sort of form tonight then Ireland could be in trouble.

Alongside him, the hosts have two players who have already scored in the qualifying campaign this season, with Naismith netting against Poland and Anya scoring against Germany. Those two can also be real handfuls when on form, so Scotland actually have a fairly potent attacking force on paper. However, they sometimes struggle for consistency, so will be hoping that tonight is one of their better days. Should the front three click, then it will go a long way to helping Scotland win this match.

Strachan has been forced into a couple of changes at the back, with Hutton and Bardsley both unavailable at right-back. Robertson and Hanley come into the side that battled to a 2-2 draw against Poland last time out, while Mulgrew also returns to the starting lineup having missed that one. He, along with midfield partner Scott Brown, is particularly familiar with the surroundings at Celtic Park tonight, so Ireland's host of Celtic alumni shouldn't give them much of an advantage at all.

Speaking of Ireland, they have surprisingly made quite a few changes to the side that fared so well against the world champions last time out. Some of those are ones that O'Neill wouldn't have wanted to make, but at the same time he will be glad to see the likes of Seamus Coleman return to the side. He has been in fine form for Everton over the past few seasons and gives Ireland defensive solidity as well as a goal threat going forward that you rarely get with defenders.

O'Shea will captain the side on his 101st cap, and if it is anything like the 100th then we are in for a treat. His last-gasp equaliser against Germany was a dream moment for the defender, but he will be hoping that he is not needed to rescue his side again tonight. Keogh, meanwhile, comes into the back four in place of Wilson, who is unavailable due to injury.

Further forward, the likes of McGeady and McClean can have a real impact on matches when they are at their best, with the former having already found the net in these qualifiers. He scored twice against Georgia in their 2-1 victory, including a 90th-minute winner to give his side all three points. There are two changes in the middle of the park, with Hendrick and Gibson replacing Quinn and Whelan.

The biggest talking point is up front, however. Robbie Keane, who scored four against Gibraltar and has 65 goals in 135 caps for his country, is left on the bench as Shane Long comes into the side. There can be little doubt that Long deserves a chance following his brace for Southampton against Leicester last weekend, but it is interesting that O'Neill has dropped the veteran to the bench rather than Walters.

PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Celtic Park, which means that it is time for a prediction! This really is a tough one to call, with both sides in fine form and starting to really get moving under their respective managers. For Scotland, defeat would leave them six points behind Ireland, and they can;t really afford that. They also have home advantage, so I'd back them not to lose this game. However, Ireland showed against Germany that they have plenty of quality, and they will be full of confidence going into this one. I can't pick a winner, in truth, so I'll go for a 1-1 draw.

As well as having a big say on both sides' hopes of qualifying for France 2016, tonight's match will have an impact on the outlook of Group D as a whole too. Poland have already won this afternoon, while you'd have to assume that Germany will pick up all three points against Gibraltar, which would mean that Ireland need a win to keep a cushion between themselves and the world champions. Scotland, meanwhile, would risk getting cut adrift with defeat, although they do still have the minnows of Gibraltar to play.

They don't have a particularly great record against Ireland, though, having won only three of their last nine meetings. The last of those came in May 2011 when Robbie Keane scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory for Ireland, while the last time they met on Scottish soil came in February 2003, when Kevin Kilbane and Clinton Morrison fired the visitors to a 2-0 victory.

There are a number of other matches going on around Europe tonight, and I will be keeping you updated with major events from those games. I will keep a particularly close eye on how Germany fare against Gibraltar - or rather how many they score against Gibraltar - as that will have a direct impact on these two teams.

Right, the teams are out, and it is an electric atmosphere inside Celtic Park right now. The teams get through all of their pre-match niceties, and we are just about ready to go now!

KICKOFF: The visitors get us underway at Celtic Park for this crucial European qualifier. Who will pick up the three points to keep up with leaders Poland?

Ireland earn a free kick within a couple of seconds of kickoff but, when he finally gets around to taking it, it is a waste from McClean. He didn't catch his shot well and all, scuffing an effort into the base of the wall.

SAVE! This has been a really bright start from the visitors. They get a shooting chance again as Walters flicks a header on to Long, who returns the favour by knocking it back to the Stoke man. Walters shifts it past one defender before going for goal from 25 yards, but it is an easy one for Marshall.

CHANCE! Really good early chance for the hosts as they win a corner following a good cross from Robertson. Fletcher finds space in the area and has a free header from the corner, but he can't keep it down and nods his effort over the crossbar.

Again Scotland come forward down the left, with Robertson getting to the byline and drilling a good cross towards the near post. Maloney throws himself at it, but it is a big ask for him to turn it goalwards. In the end, all he can do it loop the ball well over the bar.

It has been a frantic start to this match. The atmosphere is incredible inside the stadium, and that has fed down onto the pitch. The game is being played at a very quick pace, and both sides look eager to get forward whenever possible. More of the same please!

Robertson is playing a big part in these opening exchanges. He launches another attack down the left before slipping his pass in to Maloney. He tries to find Naismith, who is tackled, but the ball bounces back to Maloney, only for him to scuff a shot wide.

SAVE! Marshall is forced into action for the hosts, but it is a simple one for the keeper. Scotland cleared the ball only as far as Gibson who, from almost 30 yards, teed himself up for a volley. His dipping effort was on target but straight at the keeper, who collected without a fuss.

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the evening goes to Hanley, and he will be happy that it is just a yellow. The ball got away from him, allowing Long to steal in and knock it away. The defender scythed the striker down and looked like the last man, so could well have been sent off. The referee opts just for a yellow, though.

UPDATE: Germany have already opened the scoring against Gibraltar, with Muller grabbing the goal. Elsewhere, Serbia have broken the deadlock against Denmark courtesy of an early Tosic strike.

YELLOW CARD! McGeady is already the most unpopular man in the stadium following his choice to play for Ireland despite being born in Scotland without following the hosts' star striker like this! He hacks Fletcher down and receives a deserved yellow card for his troubles.

Both teams are full of energy and putting a shift in off the ball. The likes of Long and Walters are chasing everything down from the front, as they always do, while Scotland are also looking to put Ireland under pressure in possession.

Both sides have found themselves in decent positions in the opening 20 minutes of this game, but neither goalkeeper has really been tested so far. It is still being played at a good tempo, but clear chances have not been easy to come by.

Ireland break well as Long leaps high to flick the ball on for Walters. The Southampton man is quickly back in support of his strike partner and in a good position on the right, but Walters doesn't pick his head up and misses the chance to find Long. Instead he chooses McClean, who is dispossessed by Whittaker.

A section of the support begin chanting the name of McGeady, to which the rest of the stadium respond with boos. He enjoyed a successful stint here with Celtic, but this is most certainly a Scotland crowd rather than a Celtic one. He is a very much a polarising figure in these parts.

Long has done a very good job of making a nuisance of himself so far. He must be a nightmare for defenders to play against as he simply never gives up, and continually hounds the back four in possession. That is the sort of energy that is needed inside this cauldron of a stadium.

Hanley has to be careful here. He has already picked up a yellow card, and he goes into a challenge with Forde leading with his arm. He knew he was never getting the ball, so looked for the player instead. It would have been a soft second yellow for sure, but Hanley certainly isn't keeping his head down. The ref will be keeping a close eye on him from now on.

Indeed, Forde needs a bit of treatment following that clash. It was a stray hand rather than an elbow that caught the keeper, and he will be fine to continue, but that may also have got the referee thinking that there was more in it.

YELLOW CARD! Hendrick becomes the third name in the book for a full-blooded, late challenge on Whittaker. No quarter being given or asked by either side in the tackle this evening!

Whittaker also needs some treatment following that poor challenge, but he too should be fine to continue. Strachan can't really afford to lose him with Hutton and Bardsley already out injured.

UPDATE: Germany have a second in Nuremberg, and it is Muller again with the goal. He is scoring freely at the moment having also netted both goals against Scotland earlier in the campaign.

CHANCE! Good football from Scotland as Naismith weaves his way past a couple of tackles on the edge of the box before sliding a pass to Maloney. The winger swings a fine ball into the box which Mulgrew attacks really well, but Coleman does just enough defensively to force him to nod it wide.

Really good spell for Scotland as they put Ireland under heavy and sustained pressure. The visitors are forced into a couple of last-gasp clearances and interceptions, but they just about survive without Forde being forced into action.

Good play from Walters initially as he holds of the challenge of Whittaker to take the ball down on his chest. He spins to face goal in the same movement before firing a half volley that flies harmlessly wide. McGeady and Long aren't too happy that he went for goal, but the ball did sit up invitingly.

SAVE! At the other end Scotland come forward agin. The ball drops to Whittaker, who cuts inside from the right flank before going for goal with his weaker left foot. It is a decent drilled effort, but not too taking for Forde, who gets down comfortably to make the stop.

UPDATE: Germany have a third goal in Nuremberg, and this time it is Mario Gotze who has extended the world champions' advantage. They could well be on course for double figures tonight.

CHANCE! Huge chance for the hosts to break the deadlock! Maloney did brilliantly down the right to somehow squeeze a cross in when off balance and seemingly falling out of play. Fletcher gets in front of his man and is unmarked, but tries a flick beyond the keeper with the outside of his left foot. He completely missed the ball, and would have been much better off going with his right there.

This has just been a non-stop match so far. You haven't been able to take your eyes off it, with both sides playing at a relentless pace. It has been an enthralling contest despite a relative lack of clear chances for either side.

The fourth official indicates a minimum of two minutes added time at the end of this first half.

Phew! The players go in for a much-needed and well-deserved rest following a breathless and relentless first half. We haven't had any goals at Celtic Park thus far, and chances have also been at a premium, but it has been an enthralling match between Scotland and Ireland despite that. It has been played at an incredible tempo, and both sides are still very much in with a chance of winning this one.

The best two chances of the game have both fallen to Fletcher, but the striker could not make the most of either of them. The first saw him escape the attentions of his marker from a corner and rise well to meet the ball in space inside the area. However, he couldn't keep his header down and put it over the top of the bar when he should have at least drawn a save from the keeper.

The second saw him miss the ball entirely following some fine work from Maloney down the right. He squeezed his cross in from the byline, and Fletcher once again got into front of his marker and was in space. However, he tried to flick the ball goalwards with his left foot rather than his right when he was much better placed to go with his weaker foot. He was only a dew yards out, so any connection would have likely resulted in a goal, but he completely missed the ball.

Mulgrew has also had a decent chance with a header from another Maloney cross, but Coleman did just enough to put the Scotland man off on that occasion. At the other end, Ireland have struggled to really create anything despite some promising link-up play between Walters and Long, with Marshall only being tested with routine saves to deny Walters and Gibson.

One of the major talking points from the first half involved Hanley and a potential red card. Long was on his toes to pounce on a loose ball following Hanley's mistake, and the Scotland defender hacked him down after he had stolen possession. Hanley was the last man, but Long's touch looked to have taken the ball too far in front of him. It certainly was worth asking the question about a red, but I think the referee made the correct decision in showing a yellow card.

The atmosphere has been electric throughout so far, which had played a big part in the match being so entertaining. Both sets of players have been full of energy and have not held anything back so far, and I expect more of the same in the second half. However, they will surely begin to tire if that pace continues, and the winner of this match could be the side that copes with that best.

KICKOFF: Scotland get us back underway for the second half at Celtic Park. The crowd are still in fine voice as they roar the hosts on. More of the same please!

Decent start to the half from Ireland as they see a good amount of the ball in the opening stages. McGeady in particular is involved a lot, but Scotland are getting him surrounded by blue shirts whenever he has the ball, and as a result he hasn't had much of an impact so far.

Good defending from Coleman as he covers the run of Everton teammate Naismith, who was trying to get onto the end of a chipped through-ball by Robertson. Coleman hasn't had much chance to get forward tonight, but he has been faultless defensively.

CHANCE! Much better from McGeady as he shifts the ball to his right to earn a yard of space for a cross. He swings a vicious ball into the middle that Walters rises to meet, but the last touch comes off a blue shirt as it goes over the top for a corner.

Walters is forced off the field with blood pouring from his forearm, although it is unclear when that injured occurred. He gets it patched up quickly, though, and is back on with a bandage around his elbow.

CHANCE! Almost the opening goal for Ireland! Scotland fail to deal with a corner, clearing it more up than out. Walters wins the second ball and flicks it towards goal, and Long reacts quickly to get another touch from around six yards out. However, Marshall also responds well to make the stop.

SCOTLAND SUB: The first change of the evening comes from the hosts as Fletcher walks off rather gingerly to be replaced by Chris Martin.

Fletcher apparently picked up a knock in the first half but was unable to fully shake it off, which was the reason for his withdrawal there. It will be interesting to see whether he is available to face England on Tuesday, but it doesn't look like Sunderland fans will have too much to worry about.

SAVE! Big save from Marshall to keep the scores level. McClean did well to make a nuisance of himself in the box, forcing Brown to get a poor header clear. It drops to McGeady, who fizzes a volley towards the bottom corner. However, Marshall gets down really well to make the save, pushing it wide with Walters in close attendance.

YELLOW CARD! Coleman becomes the latest name in the book for a block on Robertson, although the Everton man can feel slightly hard done by there.

UPDATE: We could be in line for a HUGE shock elsewhere tonight, as the Faroe Islands have just taken a 1-0 lead away against Greece. Denmark, meanwhile, have scored twice in quick succession to come from behind and lead Serbia.

Half a sight of goal for the hosts as Martin is involved for the first time since coming on. He tries to steer a powerful cross towards goal, but it is always going to be a tough one and he can't work the keeper with his effort.

McGeady has had more of an impact in this second half, picking the ball up in some dangerous areas and putting some dangerous crosses into the box. The crowd may have affected him in the first half, but he is growing into the game now.

CHANCE! Huge chance for Scotland to break the deadlock! Naismith gets in behind the defence on the right flank and looks up for a blue shirt inside the box. His low cross into the middle finds Martin, who has just peeled a yard off his man to find a bit of space. He keeps his effort down, but steers it narrowly past the post. Big, big opening for the hosts!

Unlucky from Anya as he advances into the box, throwing a couple of stepovers before stabbing a cross into the middle. You could see what he was trying to do, but he put too much on his delivery.

IRELAND SUBS: Double change for the visitors as Long and Gibson make way for Hull duo Robbie Brady and Stephen Quinn. Still no Robbie Keane for Ireland.

The subs almost combine immediately as Brady advances down the right wing, reaching the byline before standing the ball up towards the front post. Quinn is there, but the Scotland defence does enough to force a corner.

There's a familiar sight. The referee calls Roy Keane over for a word after the assistant manager reacted angrily to a free kick given against Quinn. In truth, Keane has a point as it was a perfectly good challenge from Quinn, who got a foot on the ball only to be penalised.

UPDATE: Germany have got a fourth goal against Gibraltar in Nuremberg, and it is an own goal from the minnows that has done it. Santos turned the ball into the back of his own net to increase the world champions' lead. Elsewhere, the goal machine that is Cristiano Ronaldo carries on scoring as he has given Portugal the lead against Armenia.

OFF THE BAR! Scotland are inches away from taking the lead via an own goal! It is a brilliant delivery from Mulgrew, who swings his free kick into a dangerous area. Walters rises to put his header against his own bar, with Fletcher waiting just behind him.

Finally the deadlock is broken here at Celtic Park, and what a lovely strike it is! It comes from the corner that Walters conceded when heading against the top of his own bar as Scotland play it short. They work it well as Maloney slides a pass inside for Brown, who in turn flicks it back to the winger. He shows great composure to just steer his effort into the far corner, placing it beyond the keeper rather than going for power. What a huge goal that could prove to be for Scotland!

Surely now we must see Robbie Keane for the visitors. I was expecting to see him before now anyway but, with Ireland in desperate need of a goal, the man to turn to is on the bench.

IRELAND SUB: Indeed there is the change as Keane, who has 65 international goals to his name, replaces Hendrick for the final 12 minutes or so.

The visitors now have 10 minutes to respond to that Maloney goal, but they will need to come up with something a little different if they are to do so. As things stand, there will be three teams on seven points in Group D.

YELLOW CARD! Robertson becomes the latest name in the book for a late challenge on the right touchline that gives Ireland a free kick in a dangerous crossing position.

Brady swings it right into the danger area and it is a tough one to defend, but Hanley does just enough to squeeze it over his own crossbar.

Superb take from Marshall as he comes to claims the resulting corner, keeping hold of the ball despite Keogh clattering into him. It draws an angry reaction from the Scotland players, but both men only had eyes for the ball. Marshall's handling has been faultless tonight.

The pace of this match has not declined from the first minute, with both sides playing at a frenetic tempo. It has been great to watch, and you just get the feeling that there is one more moment of drama left in this one.

SCOTLAND SUB: Strachan makes a change in an attempt to make the midfield a little more sturdy as Darren Fletcher comes on for a short cameo in place of Anya.

YELLOW CARD! Tempers are beginning to flare now as Ireland 's frustration starts to show. Quinn goes into a challenge very high with studs showing, but is only shown a yellow card by the referee.

There will be four minutes of added time at the end of this match. Time for some more late drama?!

Remember, Ireland scored late to get the winner against Georgia and also rescued a draw against Germany in the 94th minute, so Scotland cannot afford to relax until that whistle is blown for the final time tonight.

OFF THE BAR! Oh my word, Ireland are inches away from levelling things up in stoppage time! Again it is almost an own goal, like it was with Walters earlier. Brady floats the free kick into a dangerous area and it looks like Hanley who gets the final touch, flicking it onto his own crossbar! Incredible!

Scotland hold out for a huge three points that brings them level with Ireland and Germany on seven points in Group D. What a riveting match that was at Celtic Park. There may have only been one goal, but it was a superb game full of passion and desire between two sets of players that gave everything they had. Great entertainment in Glasgow.

It was Maloney who got the only goal of the game as he played a one-two with Brown before curling a lovely finish into the far corner and past a helpless Forde. It was a massive goal in terms of importance and a fine finish as well from the winger. It could well have kept Scotland in the running for qualification as they would have been six points behind Ireland had they lost tonight.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you for joining Sports Mole for what was a breathless and enthralling match between Scotland and Ireland. It is the hosts who emerge victorious at Celtic Park, drawing level on points with their opponents and keeping pace with Germany. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings, which will be on site shortly. From me, though, it is goodbye!