It’s going to be an all-out brawl, when the reigning world champions Germany collide with Northern Ireland for their final group stage match this afternoon. Both countries are still in a good position to progress further into the tournament, and a win for either side will have major implications. Read on below for a closer look at this crucial Group C matchup.
Meanwhile, don’t forget to check out our preview of the other Group C clash between the Polish and Ukrainians afterwards.
Cash In on the Best Online Sportsbook Offers Now at TopBet!
Win or lose today, Northern Ireland have the right to be proud of their overall effort in Euro 2016. This team has exceeded expectations to say the least and its 2-0 victory over Ukraine should be a valid reason to give Germans or any other opponent something to ponder about.
During that match, Norn Iron, which currently holds the third spot in Group C, were led by a pair of goals from West Brom defender Gareth McAuley and Aberdeen winger Niall McGinn. But apart from those two, Conor Washington and Jamie Ward also proved to be a handful for a Ukrainian squad that had 21 clean sheets in its previous 39 games.
Both Washington and Ward played integral roles in helping Northern Ireland improve from two shots (zero on target) in their opening loss against Poland to 13 shots (seven on target) versus Ukraine.
However, the Green and White Army will likely need to put on an even better or a perfect performance in facing a much-heftier and more-talented opponent in Germany. Hence, there’s no question that Kyle Lafferty needs to put his imprints all over this game.
Lafferty, Northern Ireland’s leading goal scorer (seven) in the qualifiers has hardly been felt throughout the tournament, managing just two shots with zero attempts on target. Today is the perfect time for the Norwich City star, who has registered a total 17 goals throughout 52 career appearances for Norn Iron, to shine brightest.
Northern Ireland has only one twice in 14 encounters (four draws, eight losses) with the Germans.
The odds are obviously on Germany’s side here. They are, after all, one of the top favorites to win it all in France, and have the advantage in overall skill and experience compared to Northern Ireland. But at this early stage of the tournament, anything is still possible and the reigning world champions would be smart to continue playing as if each game is a do-or-die situation.
That’s precisely the mentality the Germans ought to have later. They haven’t really impressed thus far in their first two matches, which included an interesting goalless draw to the Polish, who are still in a relatively good position to nab the top spot in Group C. Both Germany and Poland are tied for top spot at four points apiece.
With that being the case, a lot of pressure is bound to be on Thomas Muller to start producing for the Germans. He’s had just one shot on target across 180 minutes in the tournament thus far. Now’s probably the perfect time for the 26-year-old star midfielder, who led Die Mannschaft in goals (nine) during qualifying, to wake up from his slumber.
Germany, however, is not a one-man squad. The country has more than enough talent, besides Muller, on its side. The likes of Toni Kroos and Mesut Ozil are more than capable of breaking down what is expected to be a resolute Northern Ireland defense.
The Germans have won 12 of their last 15 games at major tournaments. They are also priced at -450 to score the first goal in today’s contest.
