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Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team
Euro Champ Qualifying | Playoff Semi-Finals Route B
Oct 8, 2020 at 7.45pm UK
Stadion Bilino Polje
Northern Ireland national football team

Bosnia H'vina
1 - 1
N. Ireland

Krunic (13')
Hadziahmetovic (19'), Kolasinac (47'), Pjanic (100')
FT
(aet)
McGinn (53')
Davis (108')
N. Ireland win 4-3 on penalties

Ian Baraclough hails 'fantastic spirit' of Northern Ireland squad

Ian Baraclough hails 'fantastic spirit' of Northern Ireland squad
© Reuters
The win against Bosnia set up a qualifying play-off final against Slovakia in Belfast next month.

Ian Baraclough has hailed the team spirit within his Northern Ireland squad after they came through a tense night in Sarajevo to keep their Euro 2020 hopes alive.

Thursday night's penalty shoot-out victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina sets up a qualifying play-off final against Slovakia in Belfast next month, with Northern Ireland still dreaming of a second consecutive European finals.

Bosnia's home record made Baraclough's side second favourites in Sarajevo, but Northern Ireland triumphed in what was the nation's first penalty shoot-out as Liam Boyce netted the winning spot-kick after Bailey Peacock-Farrell saved from Haris Hajradinovic and Edin Visca hit the crossbar.

Bosnia and Herzegovina v Northern Ireland – UEFA Euro 2020 – Play-Offs – Semi Final – Stadion Grbavica
Bailey Peacock-Farrell saved from Haris Hajradinovic in the shoot-out (Nedim Grabovica/PA)

And Baraclough, enjoying his first victory in charge, put the success down to the character of his players.

"The spirit of the lads is fantastic, they're selfless," he said. "They don't think about themselves, they think just of the team, that's the group of players we've got.

"I've got a group of players I feel very comfortable with, they've worked very hard since coming in on Sunday. They enjoy working together as a group, they enjoy coming and playing for their country.

"I'm very lucky that I've got that type of squad."

The match had finished 1-1 after 120 minutes, with Niall McGinn cancelling out a first-half goal from Rade Krunic.

McGinn revealed the victory had led to some wild celebrations with "pizza flying everywhere" in the Northern Ireland dressing room, but the players do not get long to enjoy their success with a Nations League match against Austria following quickly on Sunday in Belfast.

Baraclough may need to make changes after 120 tough minutes on the road, and with another game against Norway following in Oslo on Wednesday.

"Now we're looking forward to Sunday, and then Wednesday," the manager said. "We'll have to look after players because a lot of energy has been put out there.

"Players have come off cramping up; we thought Paddy [McNair] had picked up an ankle injury but he said he'd cramped up after 80 minutes."

Northern Ireland v Norway – UEFA Nations League – Group 1 – League B – Windsor Park
Six hundred fans are due to be allowed in to Windsor Park for Sunday's match (Liam McBurney/PA)

But Thursday night showed Baraclough has options within his group as McGinn's starring role came after he did not figure in either of Northern Ireland's matches last month.

"I'm delighted the manager gave me the nod to come in," the Aberdeen winger said.

"To be honest, I've been training hard and was disappointed I didn't feature last month. I've always been the type of player that if I train well I get put in.

"That was the case under Michael (O'Neill) a lot of the time, and thankfully the gaffer has put me in and I've repaid his faith by scoring an important goal."

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Slovakia celebrate beating the Republic of Ireland on penalties in their Euro 2020 qualifying playoff semi-final on October 8, 2020
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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain870121
Q Scotland flag Scotland852117
3 Norway Norway832311
4 Georgia Georgia82248
5 Cyprus Cyprus80080

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France871022
Q Netherlands Netherlands860218
3 Greece Greece841313
4 Ireland Rep. Ireland82066
5 Gibraltar flag Gibraltar80080

Group C

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Q England flag England862020
Q Italy Italy842214
3 Ukraine Ukraine842214
4 Macedonia N. Macedonia82248
5 Malta flag Malta80080

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Turkey Turkey852117
Q Croatia Croatia851216
3 Wales flag Wales833212
4 Armenia Armenia82248
5 Latvia Latvia81073

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Albania national flag Albania843115
Q Czech Republic Czech Republic843115
3 Poland Poland832311
4 Republic of Moldova Moldova824210
5 Faroe Islands Faroe Islands80262

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Belgium Belgium862020
Q Austria Austria861119
3 Sweden Sweden831410
4 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan82157
5 Estonia Estonia80171

Group G

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Q Hungary Hungary853018
Q Serbia Serbia842214
3 Montenegro Montenegro832311
4 Lithuania Lithuania81346
5 Bulgaria Bulgaria80444

Group H

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Q Denmark Denmark1071222
Q Slovenia Slovenia1071222
3 Finland Finland1060418
4 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan1060418
5 Northern Ireland flag N. Ireland103079
6 San Marino flag San Marino1000100

Group I

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania1064022
Q Switzerland Switzerland1045117
3 Israel Israel1043315
4 Belarus Belarus1033412
5 Kosovo flag Kosovo1025311
6 Andorra flag Andorra100282

Group J

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal10100030
Q Slovakia Slovakia1071222
3 Luxembourg flag Luxembourg1052317
4 Iceland Iceland1031610
5 Bosnia Bosnia H'vina103079
6 Liechtenstein flag Liechtenstein1000100


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