rain and tears. hello and welcome to sportsday — i'm gavin ramjaun. a short trip to south wales can scotland and northern ireland for one, the other to gloucestershire — make it back to a major tournament? a fond goodbye. they both look to take a big step towards the euros tom burridge, bbc news, at heathrow. in play—off action tonight. time for a look at the weather we'll be live at wembley ahead here's darren bett. of england against wales — a friendly — if you can call it that. and could the qualifier nadia hello, good evening. it will get podoroska make history in paris? colderfor all we look at a remarkable hello, good evening. it will get colder for all of hello, good evening. it will get colderfor all of us over hello, good evening. it will get colder for all of us over the next few days. it will feel chilly and it story at the french open. is certainly chilly that evening as the cloud is melting away. you may also coming up in the programme... get a few media showers but overnight the weather changes in the two—thirds of women working north—west with stronger winds in the football industry have bringing in rain across scotland, experienced discrimination because they are women. briefly northern ireland, heading into northern england and northern and can alex thomson seal his status wales. ahead of that with the as one of the greats in sailing — clearer skies it will be a lot as he attempts win the vendee globe colder than it was last night with around the world race? lows of five or 6 degrees. here following the rain we have sunshine and showers tomorrow for scotland and showers tomorrow for scotland and northern ireland. there is the band of rain leaving england and

wales heading into the midlands, and across southern england rain could be heavier. showers following, with hailand be heavier. showers following, with hail and thunder possibly in those, particularly where we have stronger hello there and welcome to winds. in the heavier rain we could sportsday. we have a busy night of international football action ahead. briefly make 15 degrees. that colder all the home nations are in action — with rather more at stake for some. air is coming all the way from northern ireland travel to bosnia for their european championship iceland on this north to north play—off semi—final — westerly airflow as we continue into with a possible tie against the republic on the cards if they win. the weekend. we have higher pressure while scotland are at home to the west of the uk, lower to israel in their semi. pressure to the east. with that sort some big names are missing of wind flow we will get a mixture for steve clarke's side though, as they hope to move to within one of wind flow we will get a mixture of sunshine and showers, most of the match of a first major shower is probably on saturday, tournament since 1998. let's head to hampden park, mainly affecting northern and and join our sports correspondent andy swiss. western areas of the uk. eastern england may well be dry with great to see you. this is a massive sunshine at times. a chill in the game for scotland, isn't it? it is wind mind you, and temperatures a gavin, yes a huge night for disappointing i2 wind mind you, and temperatures a disappointing 12 to 13 degrees for scotland. no fans but certainly no much of the country. a cold start to the second half of the weekend. the shortage of pressure because as you strongest winds by this stage over say they have not qualified for and eastern scotland, down the north sea major tournament since the world cup coast of england and it's these

areas more likely to catch the odd backin major tournament since the world cup back in 1998 when craig brown took them to the finals in france but if shower. lighter winds elsewhere, a good chance of a dry day with they can beat israel here tonight sunshine at times but still only 12 and then went another playoff match 01’ sunshine at times but still only 12 or 13 celsius. darren, thank you. next month against either norway or that's all from the bbc news at six, 00:02:15,486 --> 2147483051:37:52,458 so it's goodbye from me, 2147483051:37:52,458 --> 4294966103:13:29,430 and on bbc one we nowjoin the bbc‘s serbia, then they will be through to the european championships. they should start as favours tonight against israel but they play them three times of the last couple of yea rs three times of the last couple of years and they haven't won one, drawn one, and lost one. and their last meeting which was only here last meeting which was only here last month finished in a 1—1 draw. suffer the scotland fans watching back at home, they could be in for a near fighting back at home, they could be in for a nearfighting evening. back at home, they could be in for a near fighting evening. our back at home, they could be in for a nearfighting evening. our member that game very well in 1998, looking ahead to the game, how much will that affect and do you think? missing those important players? such a blow for scotland to lose three players on the eve of the match because of coronavirus, two of them in particular are a real loss. ryan christie who scored the goal

here against israel last month has been such a key player for them and also arsenal defender kiernan tierney who was expected to start in defence. a real loss there for scotla nd defence. a real loss there for scotland but they do have quality around the field from their captain andy robertson who has been such a star player for liverpool over recent seasons. john mckinnon the aston villa key midfielder who is been care —— key for them has been their overall top score. steve clark will be confident that they have enough to get past israel here tonight. we should see and just before we finished you mentioned about no fans being in the stadium, do you think that would ease the pressure on them? i suppose it would ease the pressure in some ways. that saidi ease the pressure in some ways. that said i am sure scotland would have loved 50,000 supporters cheering them which they would have had had them which they would have had had the match taken place back in march as it was supposed to but as you say no fans here tonight, there will be

2000 fans in sarajevo where northern ireland are facing bosnia and —— bosnia—herzegovina and it could be a big night for the northern ireland captain steven davis as he wins a record 120 as stephen watson now reports. modest and unassuming. that is the stephen davis way. but the northern ireland captain can't shy away from the spotlight this week. nearly 16 yea rs the spotlight this week. nearly 16 years ago he made his international debut in a 1—0 defeat to canada. since then the team and his escape or have come a long way. qualify for a first major tournament in a0 yea rs. a first major tournament in a0 years. neither they are close to making into another finals was up there record 120th cat 1p on his mind tonight he says but the 35—year—olds is determined to make his personal milestone with a win.

—— mark it. a lot of sacrifice to get to this point but i always thoroughly enjoyed meeting up at the swat and it is been a bomb threat my time. i won't give it too much thought coming up to it, but after having some new message from them, it makes you realise it is a hell of an achievement. he leads a team with an achievement. he leads a team with a new manager at the helm. it is just a third matching charge since replacing michael 0'neill. and the englishman is confident his players can beat bosnia, a team northern ireland lost twice to in 2018. we have put ourselves known as not firm favourites. if they underestimate us, that is their choice. we have prepared really well. but they do need a change in fortune in sarajevo after a heavy 5—1 defeat in their last game to norway a month ago.

stephen watson, bbc news. so two big games there for northern ireland and scotland. there'll be no love lost at wembley later, despite it being a friendly between england and wales. they go head to head for the first time in four years. let's speak to our sports correspondent natalie pirks, who is there for us. this mightjust this might just be this mightjust be a friendly but these two teams having long rivalry don't they? yet there is no fans here, no points at stake but there is that anglo welsh rivalry, the bragging rights that are on the line tonight. they have not played each other since you wrote 2016 when england came away to — one winners in the group stages. we know what happened after that when wells went on that amazing run to the semis whereas england got dumped out in the last 16 by iceman. gareth southgate said there is no such thing as friendly‘s. brian gigs at saint this is always a became of course the watch had not beaten england since 198a. both sides would prioritising the next two matches

which are far more important, the nations leading match for some england play belgium here on sunday and wales will face the republic of ireland but as you say tonight big game in terms of the bragging rights. inge will be making some changes ahead of this one once a? experimental line—up gareth southgate said tonight. the last two ca ns southgate said tonight. the last two cans have been beset by problems outside of football. it must be exasperating for gareth southgate, he has likened it to being a circus outside which they should be able to control but we had the harry maguire issue. then we had the covid breaking protocol issue in iceland, and now they are not here because of these —— as per the squad... and i we had the recent party breaking rule of six with jadon sancho and others. those three are not involved in income if they do not come back to the squadron they will not be involved against belgium either which will give gareth of a

headache. harry kane will get rested with her makejoe simmering a very happy and we will get a look at dominic and callum lewin who is in spoken form for everton and it will bea—— spoken form for everton and it will be a —— interesting to see if he can bring that for an england shirt and that will be interesting for inge and vincent. we look forward to that. and wales are unbeaten in over a year. with a feel confident against this extra mental england side as you say? on in eight matches and things are going quite well for wales at the moment. they seem quite confident... gareth bale has not recovered from the injury he was on welsh duty. they will not have a few others because of positive tests but they are hopeful of having him back on sunday and the next against bulgaria. joe allen has been out since march before lockdown and wilson broke his arm in the weekend

there without key players, but they wa nt to there without key players, but they want to go into this when bringing passion and gareth southgate hopes that even though it is a experimental sign facing weston, he expects wales to bring passion. england in the under 19 match was called after noon at saint georges park, what do we know about that? england are playing scotland at saint georges in a friendly. they we re saint georges in a friendly. they were 3—1 up at half when they learned of a positive test result of one of scotland's backroom staff and the game was subsequently abandoned there are plenty of reports flying around but all we have had in terms of conversation —— confirmation is an fa statement saying that the match was abandoned as a precaution in line with covid protocol. we will have more news and bring it to you. natalie perks that went before us. thank you. a couple of other football stories to bring you. mesut 0zil has been left out of arsenal's europa league squad,

for this season's campaign. the midfielder‘s future at the club remains uncertain, after being persistently left out of the side by manager mikel arteta. 0zil hasn't played for arsenal since march. chris hughton has taken his first training session as nottingham forest manager. they've made an awful start to this championship season, losing all four of their opening matches — and sacked sabri lamouchi on tuesday. this is hughton's firstjob in management since leaving brighton last year. the possibility of managing this wonderful football club came, i the possibility of managing this wonderfulfootball club came, i did not have to think twice about it. before arriving at roland garros for this year's french open — nadia podoroska hadn't even faced a top 20 player let alone beaten one. but, having seen off world number three elina svitolina, today she had a chance to become the first qualifier to make the final of a grand slam in the modern era.

to do that, she'd have to beat one of the break—out stars of the tournament, iga swiatek in the semifinal. patrick gearey reports. so much is strange this french open but perhaps nothing is more unlikely than the story of nadia podoroska. behind these steps is a meandering journey of thousands of miles from rosario, argentina through battles with body and money. two or three yea rs with body and money. two or three years ago, i had too many injuries. idrop my years ago, i had too many injuries. i drop my ranking and eight months i was out of the tour. and then i did not have money to start playing the tournament and it was a very tough moment for me. all but one of her grand slams had ended and the anonymity of qualifying but she broke through stunning in the quarterfinal. no qualifier has ever made it this far this event but that is where it got complicated.

0pponent iga swiatek is ranked 5ath in the world but clearly hurtling higher. nadia podoroska said she didn't want to wake from her french 0pen dream but the iga swiatek forehand was a brutal grooming alarm call for some breakfast up the polish woman is just 19 and has a teenager positive disregard for the speed limit. those rockets clocked 80 mph. she had already left some on how up in the dust. nadia podoroska was left little choice but to load the catapult. the goal from rosario had never won two matches on the women's tour before