'Slovakia qualifier Northern Ireland's biggest game in years'

2026 World Cup qualifiers: Northern Ireland v Slovakia; Northern Ireland v Germany

Venue: Windsor Park, Belfast Dates: Friday, 10 October & Monday, 13 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST

Coverage details: NI v Slovakia unrecorded connected BBC Two successful UK and connected BBC One NI, BBC iPlayer and nan BBC Sport website; NI v Germany unrecorded connected BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website; some matches live connected BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster; unrecorded matter commentary, in-play clips, highlights and guidance connected nan BBC Sport website.

BBC Sport NI pundit Stuart Dallas won 62 Northern Ireland caps and played for Crusaders, Brentford and Leeds United.

It is nan biggest crippled for Northern Ireland successful years.

Slovakia person had a awesome commencement to their run pinch 2 wins, and that is what makes Friday's qualifier truthful huge.

People will people look to nan Germany game, and some matches are large successful their ain right, but fixed what is astatine liking connected Friday you cannot look past those 90 minutes.

At nan commencement of nan run you would person expected Germany to tally disconnected into nan distance, but Slovakia's triumph complete nan Germans successful nan opening crippled changed nan landscape.

Given really things person started, if Northern Ireland tin triumph connected Friday and springiness Germany a crippled connected Monday past nan title for apical spot successful nan group is blown wide open.

It will beryllium a reliable trial for Northern Ireland but it is simply a bully opportunity to spell and show that they are much than tin of competing astatine this level.

A afloat location astatine Windsor Park will person nan stadium rocking and I afloat expect Northern Ireland to springiness a bully relationship of themselves.

If they tin do that, past nan 2nd crippled will return attraction of itself. When 1 of nan powerhouses of European shot travel to Belfast it is simply a awesome juncture for everyone, and we cognize what is astatine liking astatine this stage.

The past clip Slovakia came to Windsor Park almost 5 years agone they ended our dreams of reaching Euro 2020.

Fans will consciousness for illustration we beryllium them thing fixed nan heartbreak of that defeat, but that communicative isn't location pinch this group of players.

There has been specified a youthfulness successful Michael O'Neill's squad that I don't deliberation memories of that crippled will beryllium a factor.

Slovakia person grown arsenic a federation complete nan past number of years and person competed successful awesome tournaments. That's wherever Northern Ireland want to get to, and there's nary logic they can't get there.

Nobody would person expected Slovakia to hit Germany, but that shows nan level they are at. It will beryllium a reliable game, but astatine location it is simply a awesome opportunity to make a statement.

It is breathtaking to watch Northern Ireland, but they person sewage to beryllium really difficult to hit astatine location and they person a batch of players who bask playing football, that's really important. Hopefully they tin spell and show that.

Michael is building thing really special. We don't want to put excessively overmuch unit connected this squad but hopefully they tin spell and get a result.

This group is young but they are increasing together, and you tin spot that successful Michael's attack to leadership.

Michael isn't successful immoderate unreserved to sanction an outright skipper and he's shared it astir a number of players specified arsenic Trai Hume, Conor Bradley, Shea Charles and Paddy McNair.

I work together pinch that attack and he's asking questions of each individual, and getting work from players who tin each bring thing a spot different. He is giving different players responsibilities and that tin really thief nan group overall.

When I was astatine Leeds United, though we had a nine skipper we had a activity group which worked really good because everyone brings their ain ideas and experiences, which thief successful different ways.

Each subordinate has different activity skills. For immoderate that is starring connected nan pitch, and for others it's distant from it aliases nan acquisition they bring.

Michael had full-time captains successful nan past pinch Steven Davis and Jonny Evans, but this group is different and it's a bully point for them.

I've been fortunate to person played astatine Windsor Park erstwhile it is afloat and nan spot is rocking.

The fans astatine Windsor Park will person a large domiciled to play and they tin beryllium a driving force.

They impulse you connected that past spot and that will beryllium captious for this young squad successful nan cardinal moments arsenic they don't person a immense magnitude of acquisition successful nan biggest games.

They tin thief springiness you nan belief that you tin spell and execute a large result. Michael will beryllium alert of that arsenic well, and nan fans besides realise that he is building a typical team.

It is simply a immense game, and they now person a chance to spell and laic down a marker for nan remainder of nan campaign.

Stuart Dallas was speaking to BBC Sport NI's Andy Gray.