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Germany 1-0 Northern Ireland at Euro 2016

Michael McGovern right saves a shot by Germany's Mario Goetze left during the Euro 2016 Group C soccer match between Northern Ireland and Germany at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris France Tuesday

"They were asking for a day off - we relented", O'Neill said.

It was the longest and most agonising night endured by supporters of Northern Ireland.

A 1-0 defeat to the world champions in Paris left Michael O'Neill's side in third place in Group C on three points - meaning they needed results in other groups to go their way to progress.

The tournament has not yet seen the back of those thousands of jolly green supporters and their renditions of "Will Grigg's on fire".

What they need to do next is convert more chances, which they failed to do against a courageous but limited Northern Ireland side, partly because the Parc des Princes pitch, one of the neatest in the tournament, became soggy when it started to rain in the second half.

Mueller though took positives from a game played out against a wall of noise from joyous Northern Ireland supporters.

The Bayern Munich-bound defender helped Joachim Low's men to a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland and top spot in Group C at Euro 2016 on Tuesday.

The Manchester United midfielder, 31, is now playing at his fourth European tournament, having made his championship debut aged 19 in the 1-1 draw with Netherlands in 2004.

Northern Ireland began the second half more brightly as they finally played with more intensity.

Because of McGovern, Northern Ireland still have a chance of reaching the last 16, and his manager Michael O'Neill praised a "humble, very hard-working lad".

Holders Spain lost for the first time in 15 matches at the European Championship finals when Croatia beat them 2-1 to win Group D. "If the other team have the ball in football you have to defend".

"Given the quality that's in our group we've done remarkably well and the players deserve the opportunity to play in the round of 16", O'Neill added at the post-match news conference.

A plunging save to keep out a Gomez header during the second half ranked as his finest moment in a stellar body of work for McGovern, who departed with a cherished memento.

He also defended Northern Ireland's cautious approach against Germany. "I'm immensely proud and just hope it is enough".

"There have been different heroes, in defence and attack".

Ozil was again the architect as he released Muller, and though Aaron Hughes and McGovern shut off his route to goal, Gomez was on hand to finish via a Gareth McAuley deflection.

I didn't quite know how good Michael could be in the tournament but he showed against the Germans what a top class goalkeeper he is.

It was a courageous, "backs-against-the-walls" performance by Michael O'Neill's men against a dominant German side in the suburbs of Paris. It would not be surprising if he gets something to mull over sooner rather than later.

The Northern resistance lasted until just before the half hour mark.

Of course it took some time for him to get all his ideas across and the first campaign - especially versus Luxembourg and Azerbaijan - didn't go according to plan, but he was building something then and look at us now. But we earned the right to be here and we'll have earned the right to be in the last 16 if we make it that far.

"Ideally we would have hoped to guarantee a place in the round of 16 but it was always going to be hard given the nature of the teams in our group".

In order for Albania to progress, the third place teams from Groups E and F will have to be elimimanted.

It will most likely be hosts France in Lyon on Sunday. "They stretch you and move you about so much that when you do get the ball you are too exhausted to run in any case".

stayontheblack.com

Germany 1-0 Northern Ireland at Euro 2016