Germany and Northern Ireland clash in a Group C encounter at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Die Mannschaft currently sit at the top of their group in the UEFA Euro 2016, but need a win to ensure qualification as the top placed team, while Michael O’Neill’s side are currently in third place and a draw would put them in the mix to qualify as one of the four best third-placed teams. The Green Army would, however, be looking to cause an upset, which will all but guarantee their qualification by virtue of a top two finish.
Joachim Low’s side come into the match on the back of a 0-0 draw against neighbours Poland and will be raring to assert their dominance in the football tournament – something which they have failed to do so far. On the other hand, Northern Ireland caused an upset in their last match, getting the better of Ukraine in a thrilling 2-0 win and will be brimming with confidence.
O’Neill has warned his side of the threat possessed by the world champions but has urged his players to replicate last game’s performance against Die Mannschaft. “This is as tough a game as we'll get at any point in the tournament, but the prize is massive – the potential to go to the round of 16. If we can take something from the game – three points or one – we would be in a very strong position. [We must] approach the game in a similar fashion as we did against Ukraine
"I think you go into the game full of confidence given the level of performance and the result against Ukraine. Their individual performances on the night were all fantastic as well, so they're in the right frame of mind."
Live Stream and Kick-off time
The match will be live from 21:30 IST (Tuesday), 17:00 BST (Tuesday). Watch live streaming of Northern Ireland vs Germany on SonyLIV. Follow Northern Ireland vs Germany, Euro 2016 Live Score and Commentary with Sportskeeda. The match will be telecasted live on Sony Six and Sony Six HD in India, Fox Sports in the USA and Premier Sports in the UK. The match will be played at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
Team News
Michael O’Neill’s side do not have any fresh injury concerns and the 46-year-old must decide if he is to persist with the starting XI that secured the 2-0 win over Ukraine or adapt a more defensive approach against one of the favourites to win the tournament.
Germany have struggled to get going in the tournament so far and Low might be concerned by the form displayed by Mario Gotze and Thomas Muller. The duo have failed to find the back of the net in the opening two games. Mario Gomez is another viable option on the bench that the 56-year-old could look to start ahead of Gotze.
Die Mannschaft also have three players who are just a booking away from missing the next game – Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira and Jerome Boateng.
Probable Line-Ups
Northern Ireland: McGovern; Hughes, McAuley, Cathcart, J Evans; Ward, C Evans, Davis, Norwood, Dallas; Washington.
Germany: Neuer; Höwedes, Boateng, Hummels, Hector; Kroos, Khedira; Özil, Götze, Schurrle; Müller.
Form guide (Most recent first)
Northern Ireland – WLDWW
Surprisingly, O’Neill’s side have three wins out of their last five games while their opposition for tonight’s game only have two. Northern Ireland have suffered only one defeat and a solitary draw during the same period.
Germany – DWDLW
The Germans faltered during the qualifying stage and it was not until the final Match Day that they ensured qualification. They have won two and drawn two of their last five games, with the solitary loss coming against Slovakia in the warm-up to the Euros.
Head to Head record
Northern Ireland have lost 8 out of their last 14 meetings against Die Mannschaft and have registered only two wins during the same period.
The two wins that Norther Ireland registered over the reigning world champions came during the 1984 European Championship qualifiers. The Green Army’s home and away win meant that they became the only team to register both home and away wins against either Germany or West Germany in a qualifying campaign.
Assistant manager of Northern Ireland, Jimmy Nicholl, played in the two wins over Germany.
This is the first meeting betweent he two sides at a major tournament since their 2-2 draw in Malmo during the 1958 World Cup.
Northern Ireland last beat Germany in November 1983, when Norman Whiteside’s goal was the difference between the two sides.
Match Prediction
The German would be looking to stamp their authority on the tournament with a resounding win over Northern Ireland, which will almost also ensure that they qualify for the knockouts as the top placed team in their side. We predict a 3-0 win for Germany. However, following their 2-0 win over Ukraine an upset by Northern Ireland cannot be ruled out.
