Northern Ireland need a miracle against Norway if County Derry's Simone Magill is to captain them in Euro 2025

Northern Ireland’s women's team needs a miracle if they are to qualify for the 2025 European Championships.

They need to overcome a four-goal deficit in the second leg of their playoff with Norway.

County Derry’s Simone Magill led the team out for the first leg in Larne at Inver Park, knowing it would be a tough task against Norway.

The captain will need to be in inspired form for the return leg in Oslo, with the striker hoping that as we enter the Christmas season, there is a miracle for the Green and White Army to make their second consecutive Euros after they participated in England in 2022.

Standing in their way of achieving this are the two-time European Champions and 1995 World Cup winners, with the need to score four goals to just level the tie.

Following the defeat, Magill told the Northern Ireland social team about her pride in the team and the performance.

She said: “This is the important part now: we have to lift spirits; we’ve got to get everybody’s heads back up and remind us that they’re a top, top side, and we can be really, really proud that we gave a great account of ourselves tonight. Anyone who watched the game would have seen that. 

“It was obviously a tough night. I think people look at that result on paper and have their opinions, but I’m so proud of this group. 

“We have a really young squad; we knew it was going to be a tough task tonight against one of the best teams in Europe.”

The 30-year-old is the only survivor from the last team that beat Norway in a competitive match, when Northern Ireland won 3-1 against tomorrow's opponents.

Since that win in 2011, Norway have won the past seven fixtures between the sides by a comfortable margin, and while they may consider their hopes of qualification over, they can look to end this consecutive streak of losses by summoning the spirit of the 2011 performance with Magill leading the line.

The Birmingham City striker and the rest of the youthful Northern Ireland side have made their way to Norway for the match tonight, looking to build on their spirited and brave performance last time out, hopeful they can spring a shock and earn an unlikely victory even if it doesn’t result in the miracle needed for qualification.