Michael O’Neill’s men will again face Germany in the second game of a World Cup qualifying double-header and it will be a huge physical challenge, particularly after the energy the players had to produce to sink Slovakia 2-0.
It’s a quick turnaround, with Julian Nagelsmann’s squad expected to pose a greater attacking threat than Friday’s lacklustre visitors.
And Northern Ireland will have to take on the job without one of their star performers, Conor Bradley, who must serve a suspension following his booking against Slovakia.
Northern Ireland are aiming to reach a first World Cup in 40 years and they have a fighting chance of automatic qualification.
They sit joint top of Group A on six points after three matches, tied with Germany and Slovakia.
When asked if his young squad could rise to the physical challenge of facing the four-time winners after Friday night’s intense workout, former midfielder O’Neill batted away concerns.
“It was great to get the win the other night and to get the performance that we got,” reflected O’Neill. “The second game is always easier if you win the first game. But you’re right regarding the physical demands. We put a huge amount into the game on Friday night.
“We’ve done a lot of work. The main thing we’ve done is recovery rather than anything else, obviously, in terms of what we’ve done on the pitch or anything like that. Anything that we do in terms of the tactical side of the game is pretty much done off analysis and video as opposed to through training.
The second game is always easier if you win the first game. But you’re right regarding the physical demands. We put a huge amount into the game on Friday night.
“So, it’s important that we can turn the team around. If you look at our squad, a lot of our squad play in the Championship, so they’re used to playing Saturday, Tuesday. We’re playing Friday, Monday. It’s the same process.
“You’ve got to wheel yourself out again, albeit the intensity of the game is higher than a Championship game. So, I think that we have a lot of players that are used to turning themselves around. Trai (Hume) played 46 games in the Championship last season to get himself to the Premier League.
“I think the benefit of those players who are in the EFL, they have that experience and, hopefully, that will help us.
“We will need the bench tomorrow night obviously as well and everyone coming in to be able to play their part and hopefully get us over the line and get us the result that we obviously would love to get.”
Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill shows his delight following his side’s victory over Slovakia
Although today’s game will see O’Neill hit the century mark, he’s more focused on his side’s performance in a daunting challenge.
But the 56-year-old can count on the loud backing of the Northern Ireland fans.
“The atmosphere is great,” said the former Hibernian midfielder. “We’ve had big games here in the past. In those matches, we asked the crowd to give us what they gave us, and the players responded to that.
“It is important. I think the team play with a real identity and represent what we are as a country as well. I think we got that obviously in the performance on Friday night.
“We’ve dealt with injuries in the previous camp. We definitely had players missing from the games in September that would have started. Maybe that’s less so now.
We’ve had big games here in the past. In those matches, we asked the crowd to give us what they gave us, and the players responded to that.
“We’re as close, I think, to possibly our strongest 14 or 15 players that we have at this minute in time in terms of starting.
“There’s obviously players around the squad. Sometimes when you’ve got limited choice in terms of numbers, you get consistency just through the fact that you have limited choice.
“Whereas I think Germany have changed system a little bit. They’ve got more choices in terms of personnel. What you get, I think, with players of the level that Germany consistently pick, they’re playing top-level club football.
“Coming in and playing international football, the step to an international game is not so big, if there’s any step at all.
“Whereas obviously we are asking players to step up from sometimes the level of club football, which there is a step up. I think at times that showed a little bit in some moments of the game in Cologne.
“We’ve looked at Germany in great depth. We know that when they’re good, they’re very good. But we also believe there are areas where we can hurt them.
“The team will be well-prepared to hopefully do that.”
Without the suspended Conor Bradley for the rematch with Germany, it’s a huge loss to O’Neill, who is still baffled by the call to show the Liverpool man a yellow card.
“I think it’s a little bit severe,” argued O’Neill, who has been battling illness this week but reported a clean bill of health in his squad after Friday’s clash.
“I know obviously in Uefa and the Euros, it’s three, but for Fifa it’s always been two.
“It’s a little bit harsh but, look, that’s the rules, they’re there. I think if you watch the tackle back, there’s a lot worse tackles in the game that were let go.
“And for some reason, the referee produced a yellow card at that moment in time and, obviously, despite all the cameras and VAR and everything we have, we’re not allowed to look at that. So, those are the rules, we just have to live with it.”
Michael O’Neill will celebrate his 100th game in charge of Northern Ireland against Germany
It may be a landmark game for O’Neill with it being his 100th time in charge over two spells, but the manager simply wants his side to deliver a top performance against formidable opponents.
Since returning to the job in late 2022, he has overseen an almost total rebuild of the squad, with Paddy McNair and Josh Magennis the only survivors from Euro 2016 and 14 of the 27 players in this squad under the age of 25.
“I don’t really look back on highlights of my career. I’m not really that kind of person. I’m not looking for highlights,” said the former Shamrock Rovers boss.
“I’m just looking for progression. We have an opportunity in the game tomorrow night to put ourselves in a really strong position in the group. But it’s a big ask.
“I think people have to realise that it’s a big ask against one of the top international teams in European football. I think we saw that when we were disappointed to lose in Cologne.
“We saw the strength of the German squad with the changes that Nagelsmann was able to make between game one and game two.
“Obviously, to be able to bring substitutions into the game, that made them stronger in that game. We have to deal with a lot tomorrow night and we have to be ready for that.
“I think the players have known each other, a lot of them, from a young age.
“Then when players come into the group, they’ve made it easy for them. A lot of the players in our group, the majority of our squad is under 24. Most of it is probably 22 and under.
“I think when you’re a young player, it’s nice to come away. Sometimes when you’re that age, you come into the squad and you don’t really have that much responsibility. It can be a little bit intimidating at times.
“But what we’ve done with these young players is we’ve given them responsibility from quite a young age. The most pleasing thing is that they’ve accepted that responsibility and they’ve dealt with it. I think they have high standards in themselves and as a group of lads as well.
“They know when to have fun, they know when not to have fun. But the most important thing is that there’s a real strong spirit in the group and a real determination to be successful.”
I’m just looking for progression. We have an opportunity in the game tomorrow night to put ourselves in a really strong position in the group.
Now a man who shows faith in young talent, O’Neill, who won 31 caps, fondly remembers when the legendary Billy Bingham invited him to join a special club.
“Billy probably put a lot of faith in me giving me my international debut at 18 years of age,” he said.
“I’d only been in the professional game at the time for maybe three or four months at Newcastle at that time in my career. The fact that he put that faith in me has influenced me to put faith in young players as well.
“It’s a nice thing to have and something for me to be proud of but it’ll be made all the sweeter if we get the right result.”