Standings and results for Group 7 of the UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying tournament.

Group 7 consisted of Belgium, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Republic of Ireland and Scotland. Group winners were Republic of Ireland, who finished one point clear of second-placed Bulgaria. It was Ireland's first appearance in the final stages of a major tournament: while Belgium, who had recently taken fourth place in the 1986 World Cup, were group favourites but importantly failed to win any of their matches against either Ireland or Bulgaria, who both finished ahead of them. Scotland, who finished fourth, had started the group badly but as soon as qualification was a mathematical impossibility, they made a late run in which they scored victories over both Belgium and Bulgaria: the latter, a victory with a late goal four minutes from time, secured Ireland's place in the finals after Ireland had finished all their matches, when a draw would have handed the group to Bulgaria on goal difference. Scotland then faltered in their final match against Luxembourg, a 0–0 draw handing them their only point of the campaign when a victory would have put them certainly into third place and possibly second.

Final table

PosTeamvtePldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualificationRepublic of Ireland national football teamBulgaria national football teamBelgium national football teamScotland national football teamLuxembourg national football team
1Republic of Ireland8431105+511Qualify for final tournament—2–00–00–02–1
2Bulgaria8422126+6102–1—2–00–13–0
3Belgium8332168+892–21–1—4–13–0
4Scotland833275+290–10–02–0—3–0
5Luxembourg8017223−2110–21–40–60–0—

Results

Belgium2 – 2Republic of Ireland
Claesen 14' Scifo 69'Stapleton 18' Brady 90' (pen.)
Scotland0 – 0Bulgaria
Luxembourg0 – 6Belgium
Gerets 6' Claesen 9', 54', 89' Vercauteren 41' Ceulemans 87'
Republic of Ireland0 – 0Scotland
Scotland3 – 0Luxembourg
Cooper 24' (pen.), 38' Johnston 70'
Belgium1– 1Bulgaria
Janssen 48'Tanev 62'
Scotland0 – 1Republic of Ireland
Lawrenson 8'
Bulgaria2 – 1Republic of Ireland
Tanev 41', 82' (pen.)Stapleton 53'
Belgium4 – 1Scotland
Claesen 10', 55', 86' Vercauteren 75'McStay 14'
Republic of Ireland0 – 0Belgium
Luxembourg1 – 4Bulgaria
Langers 59'[dead link]Sadakov 49' Sirakov 55' Tanev 62' Kolev 82'
Bulgaria3 – 0Luxembourg
Sirakov 25' Yordanov 39' Kolev 56'
Luxembourg0 – 2Republic of Ireland
Galvin 44' Whelan 64'
Republic of Ireland2 – 1Luxembourg
Stapleton 31' McGrath 75'Krings 28'
Bulgaria2 – 0Belgium
Sirakov 19' Tanev 70'
Republic of Ireland2 – 0Bulgaria
McGrath 52' Moran 83'
Scotland2 – 0Belgium
McCoist 14' McStay 79'
Belgium3 – 0Luxembourg
Ceulemans 17' Degryse 55' Crève 81'
Bulgaria0 – 1Scotland
Mackay 86'
Luxembourg0 – 0Scotland

Goalscorers

There were 47 goals scored in 20 matches, for an average of 2.35 goals per match.

7 goals

5 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal