FIFA World Cup qualifiers preview: Italy, Croatia and Denmark have work to do

The final 9 spots in the FIFA World Cup are on the line in the next couple of days. There are a few interesting games to keep an eye on. Here is a small preview of all of the action from UEFA, Africa, and the intra-continental playoffs.

November 9th/12th: Northern Ireland vs Switzerland

Northern Ireland will attempt to become the second team from the United Kingdom to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, after England, and their first appearance since 1986 in Mexico. The 23rd team in the FIFA Rankings finished with a 6-3-1 record and 17 points. Unfortunately, they are riding a 2-game losing streak after losing to Germany (who qualified) and Norway (who failed to qualify).

Switzerland will attempt to enter their 4th straight World Cup. It is tied for the longest streak since going 4 straight between 1934 and hosting in 1954. The 11th ranked team in the world recently had their 15-game unbeaten streak snapped by Portugal back on October 10th, but they are still riding the momentum.

Leg 1 will be November 9th in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Leg 2 will be November 12th in Basel, Switzerland. Northern Ireland holds a 2-1-1 edge over the Swiss.

Pick to advance: Switzerland.