GROW DE COLOGNE

Germany progress test against the best excites O'Neill

- Ian Parker

MICHAEL O'NEILL said he is "excited" to find out how far his young Northern Ireland team has progressed when they face Germany in today's World Cup qualifier in Cologne.

In the last two years Northern Ireland have won their Nations League group and recorded notable wins over Denmark, Scotland and Iceland, but a competitive match away to a German side ranked ninth in the world is a different challenge even if the hosts are on a run of three straight defeats.

On paper this is comfortably the hardest fixture of their Group A campaign, and one that will provide a litmus test for O'Neill's men.

Asked if his squad was ready, O'Neill said: "We'll find out, certainly.