Euro 2016 - Northern Ireland 0-1 Germany: 5 Talking Points
Germany secured top spot in Group C as Mario Gomez’s 29th-minute goal was enough to see off a spirited Northern Ireland side in Paris on Tuesday. Germany’s result, coupled with Poland’s 1-0 victory over Ukraine in the group’s other game meant that they topped their group on goal difference.
Northern Ireland finished third in the group with 3 points(GD 0) and must wait to see whether they qualify for the knockouts of the UEFA Euro 2016 as one of the best fourth-placed teams in the football tournament.
Here are some of the talking points from the game:-
#1 Thomas Muller simply can’t score
One of the most frustrated men on the pitch was forward Thomas Muller, who simply couldn’t manage to find the back of the net in the first half. He was denied by goalkeeper Michael McGovern twice, hit the wood work twice and narrowly miscued a further two opportunities.
He partly redeemed himself with the assist for Gomez’s goal, but his lack of goals and poor goals to shots ratio will be a worry for Joachim Low’s side as it doesn’t do justice to Germany’s quality in midfield. Nevertheless, Muller is a proven quality player and he is more than capable of putting his goal drought behind him and return to the scoresheet in the knockouts.