• Four-time winners Italy will face Sweden for place in finals • Croatia will play their first-leg match at home to Greece

The Republic of Ireland manager, Martin O’Neill, and his Northern Ireland counterpart, Michael O’Neill, were pleased to avoid the four-time winners Italy in Tuesday’s World Cup play-off draw. The two countries were both unseeded for the draw in Zurich and Northern Ireland were paired with Switzerland while the Republic will face Denmark.

The two-legged ties will take place between 9 and 14 November, with Northern Ireland at home in the opening leg, while the Republic will host Denmark in their return fixture.

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Switzerland were the highest-ranked nation in the draw and will be a stern test for Michael O’Neill’s side as they look to qualify for their first World Cup since 1986.

Denmark, meanwhile, are ranked only seven places higher than the 26th-ranked Republic of Ireland. And while Martin O’Neill insists it is still a tough ask, he did admit to satisfaction at missing out on a tie against the Azzurri.

“Naturally as an unseeded team the draw was going to be difficult,” Martin O’Neill told Sky Sports. “I’m delighted to be drawn away from home first. Italy were in the group and I suppose if you were to ask all of the unseeded coaches, none of us would have wanted to play Italy.”

A James McClean goal was enough for the Republic to beat Wales last week and seal their spot as runners-up in Group D. They ended their qualification group-stage campaign on 19 points, with Serbia topping the section.

Denmark missed out on the 2014 World Cup but finished second in Group E behind Poland this time as they seek a fifth appearance at the finals.

Northern Ireland lost to Germany and Norway in their final two qualifiers but still finished four points clear of the Czech Republic to seal their place in the play-offs. They finished behind the Group C winners Germany as they look to follow up their performance at Euro 2016, where they reached the last 16, with a rare outing at the World Cup finals.

Switzerland were unlucky not to reach the finals as winners of Group B, ending the campaign with nine wins from their 10 qualifiers.

However, they lost to Portugal in the final game of the group to finish behind the European champions and sit 11th in the world rankings.

But the Northern Ireland manager, Michael O’Neill, revealed he was pleased to miss out on drawing either Italy or Croatia. “We are pleased with the draw,” he said. “We are pleased we missed Italy and Croatia in particular and Switzerland will be a formidable opponent but I do believe it is an opponent we can overcome.

“With the first leg at home, we have to take something from that and take a positive result to Switzerland. And with the second leg away, it gives you the benefit of an away goal and the consequences of that – it’s going to be a very difficult tie but one we are capable of winning over 180 minutes.”

Croatia will play Greece, with Italy and Sweden drawn together in the most eye-catching of the play-off fixtures.

Fixtures in full

First legs (7.45pm GMT)

Thursday 9 November Croatia v Greece, Northern Ireland v Switzerland

Friday 10 November Sweden v Italy (,

Saturday 11 November Denmark v Republic of Ireland

Second leg (7.45pm GMT unless stated)

Sunday 12 November Greece v Croatia Switzerland v Northern Ireland (5pm GMT)

Monday 13 November Italy-Sweden (

Tuesday 14 November Republic of Ireland-Denmark