Manager Michael O’Neill felt that had Northern Ireland beaten Germany at Windsor Park in World Cup qualifying on Monday night, they would have been in a “strong position to achieve something amazing”.
It was not to be, with Nick Woltemade’s somewhat fortuitous goal the difference between the two sides in Belfast.
When the dust settles on a window during which his young side also beat Slovakia 2-0 on Friday, O’Neill will surely feel encouraged that such a possibility remains on the table as he seeks to take the side to the game’s biggest stage for the first time in four decades.
For the second time in five weeks, Northern Ireland’s players left the field against the four-time World Cup winners believing they could and perhaps should have taken something from the game.
In Cologne last month, it took until after the 70th minute before the visitors tired, and quickfire goals from Nadiem Amiri and Florian Wirtz secured an unconvincing 3-1 victory.
Back in Belfast on Monday night, it was Northern Ireland who finished the stronger side, but they could not find an equaliser during a final 25 minutes played largely in Germany’s third of the pitch.
The result ends any realistic chance of O’Neill’s side topping Group A, but the performance, allied with wins in their other two matches to date, means they can have real belief that they can both qualify for and succeed in the play-offs.
A draw in next month’s seemingly crucial fixture in Slovakia, followed by a win over Luxembourg — provided, as O’Neill put it, “Germany take care of business at home against Slovakia” in the final matchday — would be enough for second place.
Even if that does not come to pass, there remains a likely backdoor into the play-offs through an otherwise unqualified group winner from last year’s Nations League, although that could potentially mean a considerably stronger opponent in an away semi-final.
“We’ve gained some momentum and picked up some good results,” said defender Paddy McNair, one of two players in O’Neill’s squad who played for Northern Ireland in their last major tournament at Euro 2016.
“If I were the opposition, I would not want to face us in the play-offs.
“It’s pretty hard to finish first now, but I think we have to get to Slovakia and secure three points; you just never know what could happen going into the last game.”
