Conor Bradley banned, Michael O’Neill’s ton up – Northern Ireland talking points

Germany will be the visitors to Windsor Park as Northern Ireland continue their World Cup qualifying campaign on Monday night.

Friday’s 2-0 win over Slovakia left Michael O’Neill’s side level on points with Germany and Slovakia, with everything still to play for in Group A.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the key talking points ahead of the game.

Bradley’s suspension

Conor Bradley was many people’s man of the match on Friday night but a cheap yellow card picked up late on means the Liverpool man is suspended on Monday. His all-action approach and dynamic attacking play cannot be directly replicated by anybody else in O’Neill’s squad, costing Northern Ireland what was likely to be their best outlet to try to hurt Germany on the counter-attack. Brodie Spencer is expected to come in to Bradley’s place, but Northern Ireland will have to take a different tack.

O’Neill’s century

O’Neill may not like talking about it but let us do so anyway – Monday night will be the 56-year-old’s 100th game in charge across his two spells, and what a fixture to reach the milestone, at home to one of Europe’s traditional powers. Only Billy Bingham – who took charge of 118 games – has led Northern Ireland into more games, while O’Neill’s win rate of 37 per cent is second only to Bertie Peacock’s 39.

Hope, not expectation

Going into last month’s match away to Germany in Cologne, O’Neill insisted no match should be called a ‘free hit’. But few will be expecting Northern Ireland to win this match even if there are reasons to believe they can. Paddy McNair summed up the mood after the 3-1 loss last month by rueing one that got away, saying a relatively poor Germany side had been “there for the taking”. Can they get something second time around?

Nagelsmann’s criticism

If Northern Ireland were in need of any extra motivation – doubtful, it has to be said – they can take some from Julian Nagelsmann. The Germany boss caused a stir last month when he said Northern Ireland played “boring and optically dull football characterised by long balls”. O’Neill has had his chance to respond, pointing out he is under no obligation to entertain his opponents and, what is more, Germany lumped it forward plenty of times themselves in Cologne. Now the players can offer their reply on the pitch.

Home comforts

Friday’s win extended Northern Ireland’s unbeaten run at Windsor Park to seven games, six of them victories, which started with the 2-0 Euro 2024 qualifying triumph over Denmark in November 2023. Northern Ireland have kept six clean sheets during that run to boot. However, Germany will provide the stiffest test yet.