Northern Ireland v Norway: Underdogs must channel 2011 spirit to make new memories – Magill

Since that win in 2011, Norway have won the last the last six fixtures between the sides by a comfortable margin – the most recent of which was a 4-1 win at Euro 2022.

But this young team do not have any of the scars from those fixtures. Only 11 of the 23 players in the squad from Euro 2022 are in Oxtoby’s panel for this play-off.

In fact, only seven of those 11 featured in the opening match with Norway, which was Northern Ireland’s first ever at a major tournament.

Friday’s first leg is undoubtedly the biggest game of the careers of some of the younger players in the squad, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from watching training ahead of the match.

There was plenty of smiles and laughter as Northern Ireland warmed up in the freezing conditions in Larne, and Magill adds the squad is just “really excited to get going”.

“The message is to control what we can control. That’s how we apply ourselves in the game.

“We’ve been underdogs our whole lives so it’s something that we are used to. We’ve absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.

“As long as we go into this game and stick together as a group, and apply ourselves in the best way possible, it gives us a really good chance to go after it.”

While Northern Ireland struggled to kill the game against Croatia off in normal time, where Lauren Wade stepped up to score a superb extra-time winner, Magill admits Friday’s hosts will have to find their ruthless edge against Norway.

Norway drew four of their Euro 2025 qualifiers but hammered Albania 14-0 on aggregate to reach the final play-off round.