Away trips to Serbia and Wales bookend Ireland’s World Cup qualifying campaign

Ireland will end their Russia 2018 qualifying campaign with what could be a crucial trip to Cardiff

Uefa have released the fixture lists for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and the Republic of Ireland will start and finish with potentially campaign-defining games against Serbia and Wales.

If Martin O’Neill gets his wish, the Ulsterman will lead the boys in green to Belgrade for a daunting clash against Serbia in September 2016, before an October double-header against Georgia and Moldova that will be expected to yield six points.

Ireland end 2016 by travelling to Austria, before hosting Group D top seeds Wales the following March, the first of four home games that are likely to decide whether they go into their final fixture in Cardiff with qualification hopes still burning.

Ireland’s 2018 World Cup Group D qualifying fixtures:

2016
Monday September 5: Serbia (a)
Thursday October 6: Georgia (h)
Sunday October 9: Moldova (a)
Saturday November 12: Austria (a)

2017
Friday March 24: Wales (h)
Sunday June 11: Austria (h)
Saturday September 2: Georgia (a)
Tuesday September 5: Serbia (h)
Friday October 6: Moldova (h)
Monday October 9: Wales (a)