Israel 2-1 Russia

90+2 min We have four minutes of added on time.

Goal! Israel 2-1 Russia (Golan 90+1) Unbelievable in excelsis! Russia throw all their men forward, Golan beats the offside trap and danks it past Gabalov. England now need just a draw to get to Euro 2008!

89 min Unbelievable! A superb pass from Arshavin plays in Sychev; who has two defenders around him and Auoate charging at him. He toe-pokes it towards goal ... and it hits the post. And all England breathes a huge sigh of relief.

86 min Apart from the 10 minutes or so around their equaliser, Russia have been poor - if anything Israel are looking the more dangerous on the break. "Base metal?" scoffs Aidan Oswell in Gary Naylor's direction. "We're constantly being told the England players are diamonds in the rough, just waiting to be forged into the champion side. Personally, I see them more as bling-wearing compulsive consumers, more interested in being seen out with the right people that straining every sinew for their country. When the players share the commitment of the traveling fans, we may have a chance."

86 min Arshavin finds more space down the left, but his cross is weak again. "Come on Russia! Please! Please!" cries Shane Clifford. "Give me something to celebrate over my Guiness tonight!" It's not going to happen, Shane.

84 min There's a delay in play as Ben Haim, clutching his back after clattering into his keeper, is taken off on a stretcher. But lo! After two minutes of the magic sponge he's ready to sprint back on, as fresh as you like.

82 min Auoate comes right to the edge of the area to try and punch a free-kick, misses, and is very lucky indeed that Pogrebniak backs it into his hands. Meanwhile Gary Naylor is back."The attraction of the England job (67 min) is surely that England, even now, are one of just a handful of countries that can win the World Cup in 2010 and hence ensure immortality for its manager," he writes. "Sure we're a long way away now, but that's where the ego kicks in and Jose or Martin or Guus thinks that they are the alchemist who finally fashions the gold from the base metal."

80 min Russia are still having the majority of the possession, but there's not the urgency there was: I think the Pogrebniak substitution may have been a mistake - they look a little more disjointed now. And Alberman has just come this close to giving Israel the lead with a flick that went just over.

78 min More heart-in-mouth moments in the Israel box as the ball pinballs this way and that before the linesman flags for offside. Meanwhile this from Oliver Dennis. "Re: McLaren's replacement. Sven normally got a good first-half performance out of England, right? And Guus Hiddink seems to specialize in getting teams to improve after half-time. So how about a job-share scheme?" I've heard worse.

76 min Another shot from Sychev, but it's a trundler that Auoate claims easily. "Has Golan been brought on for his Height?" asks Alan Ryan. Oh dear.

74 min More joy for Russia down the left, but with Pogrebniak (who looks a little like Ivan Drago in Rocky 4) lurking, Auoate makes a fine take. Can Israel hold on?

71 min Twenty minutes to go, and still the pattern repeats itself: Russia pressing, Israel clinging on. Sychev lets fly from 22 yards, it hits a divot, and misses the post by inches. "I am an Irishman in Singapore reeling from Scotland's loss to Italy," announces Al Ryan. "I can't handle England getting through by Israel beating a spiritual fatherland. What say we swap Second-Choice Steve for Steve "lights on but nobody home" Staunton. We'll throw in a free Bobby as well."

69 min Israel sub: Sahar, who had a decent game leading the line, off, Golan on. "Come on Russia!" cries Brendan Ó Sé, who's Irish, naturally.

68 min Russia sub: Vasili Berezutsky off, Pogrebniak on. Hiddink is certainly going for it now, replacing an attacker for a defender.

67 min It's like a game of attack v defence, with Russia continuing to press. "Can't really see Jose, or Martin O'Neill or anyone decent wanting the England job for eight months or month years or anything inbetween," suggests Ed Whatley. "Why throw yourself into the swirling whirlpool of divvery and farce around the England team, which you get to work with once every few weeks, when you can get stuck into the satisfaction of making a big club in your own image, and don't have to wait through four weeks of bile for the next game to come around after a bad result. Anyone in their right mind would take half a million a year and a club job over the FA's enormous bounty and the England 'hotseat'. Problem is, we need someone in their right mind." McClaren is on £2.5m a year, Ed. Surely it's not beyond the FA to find someone decent for that?

65 min Sychev shoots well wide from 15 yards, but it's all Russia now. "'Re: 42 min Israel are reverting to page one of the Steve McClaren Bumper Book of Tactics (ie go ahead and then stick 10 men behind the ball). Let's hope they're able to pull it off better than England.' Apparently not, they're just as rubbish at it as England are," says Ian Melven. Russia to win 2-1."

63 min Israel sub: Yitzhaki off, Ben Shushan on. Meanwhile Arshavin has just shot wide again ...

Goal! Israel 1-1 Russia (61 min) Brilliant from Arshavin, who draws in Ben Haim before slipping it to the cherubic Bilyaletdinov who drives it under Aouate's legs ... and high into the net!

59 min What a chance for Sychev! He skids past his marker on the right and has a one-on-one with Aouate. It's a tight angle, admittedly, but instead of going for goal he passes it backwards and Arshavin's weak shot is easily saved. It's mostly Russia now.

57 min Russia win a free-kick 30 yards out. Berezutsky lines up to have a crack ... but curls it meekly into Aouate's arms. "If we do qualify then McClaren was up to the job and therefore should stay," says Jim Duncan. "The nightmare scenario is if we don't qualify but he isn't sacked."

55 min Israel are still looking dangerous on the break; Sahar was played through again and would've had a run on goal but miscontrolled it horribly. "Eight months for Jose? Why not give him eight years?" says Gary Naylor, not unreasonably. "We missed the opportunity of Brian Clough at the peak of his powers for fear of what he might do and what good came of that?" Ah, Bobby Robson wasn't that bad Gary.

53 min Russia sub: Pavluchenko off, Sychev - who's never quite lived up to his billing a few years ago - on.

52 min Again Russia attack down the left, but this time the cross is much better: Pavluchenko climbs, eight yards out, and headers it over. That was a real chance.

50 min Already in this hafl Zhirkov has found space on the left-hand side three times only to fail to deliver the final ball. "Right, we've all switched over now from Scotland v Italy," says Paul Stephens. "Can I be the first Englander to call the second Italian goal an absolute travesty, if only because I had a week's wages on the draw. Bah!" You're speaking my language, Paul. Had a tenner on Estonia to beat Andorra, Scotland to draw with Italy and Israel to draw with Russia to win £110. Was feeling quietly confident ... until that late Italy goal.

47 min Russia have woken up. Straight from the kick off they go at Israel, and they're hassling and harrying when they're not in possession.

46 min We're off again. "For the sake of argument that the score stays 1-0 to Israel, and England manage to draw on Wednesday to qualify, shouldn't McClaren be fired anyway?" asks Alan Cooper. "If the evidence is there that he's not up to the job, how would that evidence be changed by fluke results elsewhere in our favour?" I think you speak sense, Alan, but it won't happen. I'd have no problem with giving Jose Mourinho an eight-month contract if England qualified. It'd surely improve their chances of winning the tournament.

Half-time It's been a dire half of football, but England fans won't care a jot.

44 min A bizarre piece of defending from Ben Haim, who puts his foot on the ball in the six-yard box with Zhirkov snapping at his ankles. Fortunately for Israel the referee blows up for something; I'm not sure what.

42 min Israel are reverting to page one of the Steve McClaren Bumper Book of Tactics (ie go ahead and then stick 10 men behind the ball). Let's hope they're able to pull it off better than England.

40 min This is slightly better from Russia, with Aniukov now repeatedly bombing down the right flank, but their play is still fairly half-hearted. "I am conflicted," says John Foreman. Pray tell, John. "Of course I want England to get through. But what worries me, if Israel help England out and we get past Croatia, is that we then will have the very smug face of Second-Choice Steve telling us that he knew what he was doing all along, when he clearly does not have a clue." I'm guessing you're not alone.

37 min A rare chance for Russia but Aniukov slashes into the side netting from a wide angle. Before this game my colleague Barry Glendenning placed a £30 bet on Israel to win or draw, to win £50. Right now, I'd say that bet looks safer than a particularly street-cool kid near his Brixton home. (Assuming kids still say "safe", of course.)

33 min Israel are still looking the only team interested in winning this, with Sahar continuing to dance and duke his way through the Russian defence. Russia are apparently on a £100,000-a-man bonus to win this; they look like they're playing in a friendly.

31 min Russia sub: Tobinsky on, Semshow off. The change makes sense: Semshow is a defensive midfielder, and Tobinsky helped turned the game when he came on against England in Moscow.

29 min They really, really are. If England can't qualify from group E, then really: what good are they for? This must be the feeblest group of all the Euro 2008 qualifers. Granted Croatia have improved since being knocked out in the first round of Germany 2006, but Russia and Israel are poor.

27 min God, Russia are awful.

25 min Twice Bilyaletdinov, who looks as cherubic as a first-year Westminster choralist, goes close from 25 yards. "This looks like it might be England's best result in years!" says Gary Naylor. "Who's the Israel manager? Can he be lured to replace McClaren?"

22 min Dear oh dear oh dear: Israel should be 2-0 up. With no Russia defender near him, Yitzhaki misses a free header from three yards out.

20 min Israel look like they're in again until the referee's assistant flags furiously for offside. "It will end in tears Wednesday, Sean, in a typical England scenario," says Rob Hisnay. "After Israel do England a favour today and get some kind of result, England, without Rooney, Owen, Terry, and Ferdinand will then lose at home to Croatia. Lampard can then commiserate with his Tory buddy Cameron." And his £90,000-a-week wages, beautiful wife, etc, etc.

17 min Russia are still looking even more sluggish and appalling than England did in Austria last night. Everything is so slow, and they can't keep hold of the ball at all. "So ... if this holds up, what are the odds of a 'gentleman's agreement' bore draw on Wednesday?" asks Patrick Mcdaniel. Very high.

14 min There's a long way to go yet, of course, but if Russia lose England will only need a point against Croatia on Wednesday to qualify for Euro 2008. "Just think! England are only 80 minutes away from having a chance to qualify again," cries a disbelieving Neil Stainthorpe.

Goal! Israel 1-0 Russia (Barda 11) Unbelievable! Israel are ahead! Sahar, who is drifting cleverly between midfield and attack, picks up the ball on the halfway line, isn't challenged by any Russian defender, and slips it perfectly to Barda, who flicks it over Gabulov and into the net. "What a start for England!" cries an excited David Platt on Sky.

9 min Arshavin and Bilyaletdinov exchange a nifty one-two on the edge of Israel's box and win a corner. When it pings over, Auoate flaps like a James but Israel clear.

7 min We're still in the feel-each-other-out phase; Russia are having most of the possession, but they're not doing much with it.

5 min There's a banner in the stands saying "Welcome to Hell", but this is not exactly Galatasaray in the mid-1990s. The stands are half empty. "Exactly what is the difference between the foolish, the brainwashed, and the religious?" asks Tom Astin. "Surely they are all one of the same?"

3 min Russia win a free-kick 22 yards out, slightly left of centre. Ignashevich charges in ... and smashes it into his own player.

1 min We're off! And so is Gary Naylor. "I'm not saying this just because England are on their way out but does the European Championship really matter? The greats of football have always underlined their status in World Cup Finals and in European Cups/ Champions League - who made their reputation at a Euro Champs? Even the great France team of 1984 are remembered more for their mugging by Germany in 1982. Trading one McClaren for a no-show at a Euro Champs is a fair swap for me." Have to disagree Gary. Euro 84 was a classic tournament, Euro 88 wasn't bad, and Euro 2000 was perhaps the best international tournament of all time. Usually the football is better than that at the World Cup, although I'll concede Euro 2004 wasn't up to much.

Odds Israel are 6-1, Russia 1-2, and the draw is 3-1. I really don't think Russia are up to very much, especially defensively, so I've backed the draw, more in hope than expectation. Meanwhile Jim Denvir writes: "Surely the worst part about all this is that after Russia thump Israel and Croatia secure a point against Macedonia, we'll have four days of listening to Second-Choice Steve telling us there is still hope if Andorra get a result against Russia. After all, Andorra are a very hard team to break down."

Preamble Ever since England's defeat to Russia, Steve McClaren has repeatedly insisted - with a fervour usually only found in the foolish, the brainwashed, or the religious - that his side will qualify for Euro 2008. Well, we're soon going to find out. If Russia win tonight, and Croatia get something against Macedonia, then England are out. If Israel shock us all, then England will have to get something against Croatia at Wembley.

Teams

Israel: Aouate, Spungin, Keinan, Ben-Haim, Ziv, Alberman, Cohen, Buzaglo, Yitzhaki, Barda, Sahar. Subs: Davidovitch, Baruchian, Colautti, Ben Shushan, Golan, Ohayon, Strol.

Russia: Gabulov, Vasili Berezutsky, Alexei Berezutsky, Aniukov, Semshov, Ignashevich, Bilyaletdinov, Zurianov, Zhirkov, Arshavin, Pavluchenko. Subs: Malafeev, Torbinsky, Saenko, Kerzhakov, Pogrebniak, Kolodin, Sychev.

Referee: Stefano Farina (Italy).