Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger will make his first start for Germany since the World Cup final last year when his team take on Georgia in a Euro 2016 qualifier today, coach Joachim Loew said.

Schweinsteiger, who took over from Philipp Lahm as skipper following the team’s World Cup triumph in Brazil last year, has yet to feature after nursing a long-time injury that caused him to miss much of the first half of the season.

“Bastian Schweinsteiger will start tomorrow. Our overall formation will be an attacking one,” the coach told reporters yesterday after resting Schweinsteiger for the 2-2 friendly draw against Australia on Wednesday.

“We need players who will box the opponents in their own half, who can operate up front. The concept will be an attacking one.”

The Germans, who are three points behind Group D leaders Poland, level with Ireland and Scotland, are eager to get their qualification back on track.

They also struggled to draw with Asian champions Australia, although Loew did rest half a dozen regulars.

“With all due respect for our opponents, we will take the three points tomorrow with us,” Loew said.

“We have to light the fire tomorrow to win the three points. We know how important this is and we know of our current situation. I am convinced we can win it.

“Georgia have not as many points as they may have expected. Defensively they can operate very well.”

Loew has been struggling with his back line and has yet to decide whether to use a three-man defence.

“We will play various systems until the Euro,” he said. “What is more important is the good division of space and to remain flexible.

“For Georgia it may be the game of the decade and we expect a fiery atmosphere.”

Martin O’Neill has told his players to seize the moment and drag the Republic of Ireland firmly back into the race for Euro 2016 qualification against Poland.

The Poles head for the Aviva Stadium tonight sitting at the top of Group D, three points clear of the chasing pack with Ireland, Germany and Scotland locked together behind them.

O’Neill’s men slipped off the pace when they were defeated 1-0 by the Scots in Glasgow in November, but the 63-year-old manager insists he always believed their fate would be settled in Dublin and has challenged his team to prove him right by denting Poland’s charge to the finals.

He said: “What we have to do is look at where we are at the moment: we have picked up seven points, we have played three away from home. We have given ourselves a chance.

“When the draw was made and the games were set out, that was the first thing I looked at, that of the first four games, three were away from home.

“We could have been out of the competition before we were ever in it.

“We have given ourselves a chance by winning in Georgia and getting a point in Germany. The games here were always going to be important. Now they have come around, so we are ready for them, we hope.

“We have to be ready for them. There’s no point in being ready on Monday morning, let’s be ready tomorrow night. Let’s go and perform, let’s perform to the best of our ability and if we do that, we’ll go close in the game.”

Group D

Playing today
Georgia vs Germany - 18.00
Scotland vs Gibraltar - 18.00
Ireland vs Poland - 20.45

  P W D L F A Pts
Poland 4 3 1 0 15 2 10
Germany 4 2 1 1 7 4 7
Scotland 4 2 1 1 5 4 7
Ireland 4 2 1 1 10 3 7
Georgia 4 1 0 3 4 7 3
Gibraltar 4 0 0 4 0 21 0

Group F

Playing today
N. Ireland vs Finland - 18.00
Romania vs F. Island - 18.00
Hungary vs Greece - 20.45

  P W D L F A Pts
Romania 4 3 1 0 6 1 10
N. Ireland 4 3 0 1 6 3 9
Hungary 4 2 1 1 4 3 7
Finland 4 1 1 2 4 5 4
F. Islands 4 1 0 3 2 6 3
Greece 4 0 1 3 1 5 1

Group I

Playing today
Albania vs Armenia - 18.00
Portugal vs Serbia - 20.45

  P W D L F A Pts
Denmark 4 2 1 1 6 4 7
Portugal 3 2 0 1 2 1 6
Albania 3 1 1 1 2 4 4
Serbia (-3) 3 1 1 1 5 4 1
Armenia 3 0 1 2 2 4 1

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