"Northern Ireland's trip to Slovakia ended in a late defeat and meant Michael O'Neill's side cannot finish in the top two in Group A. But there was a silver lining to the Kosice cloud, as Croatia's win over Faroe Islands guaranteed Northern Ireland a World Cup play-off. So, ultimately, the final qualifier with Luxembourg on Monday night is now a dead rubber with nothing on the line in terms of the table."
"This one speaks for itself. This is the last time Northern Ireland will play before the World Cup play-off in March. Despite the feel-good factor that has been restored around O'Neill's team, they have lost two matches on the bounce and will want to try and get that winning feeling back against Luxembourg. There was a sense that momentum was firmly on Northern Ireland's side after the win over Slovakia last month that had Windsor Park bouncing."
Northern Ireland lost late in Slovakia and cannot finish in the top two of Group A, but Croatia's victory over the Faroe Islands granted Northern Ireland a World Cup play-off place. The final qualifier against Luxembourg is a dead rubber with no table implications, yet it is the last match before the March play-off and an opportunity to restore winning momentum after back-to-back defeats. Northern Ireland know their play-off semi-final will be away from home, so a win would send the team into March with confidence. Michael O'Neill faces selection dilemmas as Shea Charles and Ali McCann remain injured and George Saville is suspended.
Read at www.bbc.com
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