After Northern Ireland’s frustrating 1-0 defeat at the hands of Poland in their opening match of Euro 2016, it is likely that the players, manager and fans would have been hoping to be in with a chance to reach the Last 16, but not holding their breath. But a stunning 2-0 victory over Ukraine means that the Green and White Army has a chance to progress to the second round of a major tournament for the first time since 1982. All that stands in the way is the small matter of the world champions, Germany.
To say that Michael O’Neill’s men are the underdogs going into this match is quite an understatement; players like Michael McGovern, Gareth McAuley, Stuart Dallas and Kyle Lafferty aren’t exactly held in the same regard as Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Mesut Özil and Thomas Müller. But if they can pull off an upset just like the Republic of Ireland did in October 2015, it will be arguably be the best result in their history and certainly their finest hour since 1982.
Since the invention of colour television, only two matches have carried anywhere near the prestige of Tuesday’s match for Northern Ireland, both of which came in the 1982 World Cup. The first match was against the hosts, Spain, in the first group stage. After draws against Yugoslavia and Honduras, the Northern Irish side, managed by Billy Bingham, needed to win to have any chance of qualifying for the next round.
The Spanish team was not as feared back then as it is now, but they were certainly seen as favourites in this encounter. Yugoslavia’s narrow victory over Honduras the day before meant that all the Furia Roja needed to do was avoid losing by more than one goal to progress, whereas for the Green and White Army, nothing but a win would do. And boy did they deliver. Gerry Armstrong’s goal shortly after half-time, coupled with some stoic defending and some excellent goalkeeping from 37-year-old Pat Jennings, then of Arsenal, secured a famous 1-0 win which took both teams into the next round, with the victors topping the group.
The second group stage featured four groups of three teams, the winner of which would go through to the semi-final. Northern Ireland were drawn against Austria and France, the latter of whom were seen as one of the favourites to win the tournament outright. In their first match, a dramatic 2-2 draw against the Austrians meant that only a win against the Michel Platini-inspired French team would allow Northern Ireland’s journey to continue.
Unlike in their first huge match of the tournament, the Ulstermen did not prosper. France’s brilliance proved too much for their opponents as they ran out 4-1 winners. Nevertheless, this tournament was an unforgettable one in Northern Irish football history, and the build-up to those two matches will have been as nerve-wracking for Bingham’s men as the encounter against Germany will be for O’Neill’s.
One thing which will calm Northern Ireland down is that they may not even need to get a result to qualify for the Last 16. They are guaranteed to finish at least third in their group, and provided they have more points or a better goal difference than two other third-placed teams, they will go through. However, they cannot approach the game with this mentality, as to lose would put matters out of their own hands.
Even a draw should be more than enough to secure qualification, but an unlikely victory must be the only thing on the players’ minds. This will not only guarantee progress, but also at least a second-placed finish in the group which would give them a much easier opponent in the second round.
Northern Ireland will need to be at their very best in every department. The gulf in quality between them and the world champions is obvious, and they will have to approach the match defensively. Against Poland, they defended heroically in the first half, but a slip-up finally caused them to concede. No such mistakes can be made on Tuesday.
As for the rare occasions when they will be on the attack, they will have to be clinical. In Kyle Lafferty they have a very natural finisher, and he will have to get much better service than that which he got in their first match. The team as a whole is pretty deadly from set pieces, and this could be crucial in the context of the match.
If they can steal an early corner either in open play or from a dead ball situation, it will put the Germans under serious pressure and cause them to attack in a much more anxious manner. Although defending against agitated world champions may not seem appealing, it will make Northern Ireland’s job a lot easier. Once anxiety creeps into attacking play, a team can often become more likely to make mistakes and less likely to create quality chances.
Germany go into this game the overwhelming favourites, but the Green and White Army should treat this merely as an opportunity to cause one of the greatest upsets in European Championship history.
