Euro 2020 draw: Northern Ireland to end with four games against Netherlands and Germany
Last updated on .From the section Irish
Northern Ireland's last four Euro 2020 qualifiers will be against Group C top seeds the Netherlands and Germany.
Michael O'Neill's side will start with back-to-back home games against Estonia and Belarus but face a tough finish.
The Republic of Ireland will begin their campaign with an away game against minnows Gibraltar on 23 March.
Three days later they will play Georgia at the Aviva Stadium, which will host three group games and a last-16 match during Euro 2020.
The final qualifier for Mick McCarthy's side will be at home to Denmark on 18 November.
- O'Neill remains upbeat despite tough Euro draw
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- Northern Ireland grouped with Netherlands and Germany
NI facing a tough finish
Northern Ireland were handed a difficult draw in Group C against the top-seeded Dutch and Germany, who dropped into pot two after suffering relegation in the Uefa Nations League.
O'Neill's men will face a punishing end to their qualifying bid with the visit of Germany to Belfast on Monday, 9 September before back-to-back matches against the Dutch on Thursday, 10 October (away) and a month later at the National Stadium on Saturday, 16 November.
The campaign will finish with an away trip to Germany on Tuesday, 19 November.
Northern Ireland supporters will be hoping for a strong start to the team's qualification push with their matches against Estonia, ranked 96th in the world, and 76th-placed Belarus coming in the opening four rounds.
Home fixtures against the Estonians on Thursday, 21 March and against Belarus three days later - the same day the Netherlands host Germany - will give Northern Ireland a chance to take early control of the group table.
The visit to Estonia on Saturday, 8 June will be the only weekend away fixture for Northern Ireland fans with the trip to Belarus taking place on Tuesday, 11 June.
O'Neill's team will not have a qualifier in the first week of September, which paves the way for the Irish FA to arrange a friendly match ahead of the clash against Germany at Windsor Park.
Gibraltar venue to be decided
The Republic defeated both Georgia and Gibraltar home and away when they were drawn in the same qualifying group for Euro 2016.
It is not yet clear where their opener against Gibraltar will be held, given that the British territory have played their 'home' fixtures at the Estadio Algarve in Portugal since being granted Uefa membership in 2013.
Denmark will also provide familiar opposition to the Republic, with the sides meeting four times since November 2017.
A brilliant Christian Eriksen hat-trick ended the Republic's hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, while the sides played out two scoreless draw when they met in the Nations League earlier this year.
McCarthy's side were initially drawn in Group C but were moved as the group already contained two of the tournament's 12 host nations.
Group D contains only five teams as Switzerland, who have qualified for the Nations League finals in June, had to be placed in a smaller group in order to keep the June dates free.
The winner and runner-up of each group will qualify directly for Euro 2020.
