Northern Ireland 1-3 Germany
It was always going to be a big ask.
Not many teams win football games against Germany, fewer still when they are the world champions.
Yet if they were going to spring a sports betting surprise then conceding a goal after two minutes wasn’t their best move.
And so when Sebastian Rudy arrowed a shot into the top right-hand corner from outside the box inside two minutes, Belfast could be forgiven for sighing a collective groan.
When Sandro Wagner then repeated the feat 19 minutes later, again from outside of the box, but this time to the bottom left-hand corner, the game was realistically up.
For all the huffing and puffing, Michael O’Neill’s men were never really at the races and that was summed up when Joshua Kimmich had the final say four minutes from time to confirm top place in Group C.
Not that there is any disgrace in losing comprehensively to the top team in the world, a nation which still boasts the remarkable statistic of never losing an away World Cup qualifier.
Respectfully, you know when players from the likes of Burton Albion, Bradford City and Kilmarnock make up your squad, even the most inspiring manager can only take a country so far at the top level.
An injury time header from Josh Magennis was scant consolation on a night O’Neill preceded by saying his side needed to adopt a conservative approach.
Of course, that went out of the window inside two minutes.
Yet the overachieving Green and White Army can still afford to dream of sealing a place in next year’s finals in Russia, just like Germany secured with this victory.
A point in Oslo in three days time will guarantee them a play-off place next month.
A defeat and they still stand a chance but should they get a positive result, chances are they will be seeded for the play-offs.
What a difference that could make!
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