Germany vs. Northern Ireland: World Cup 2018 Qualifying Preview and Live Stream

Northern Ireland can move to the top of their 2018 World Cup qualifying group if they defeat Germany at Hannover's HDI Arena on Tuesday in what's likely to be their hardest fixture of the pool phase.

Manager Michael O'Neill's side are third in Group C and two points behind joint-leaders Germany and Azerbaijan, with each of the top three teams still boasting an undefeated record after two games.

Northern Ireland trampled over San Marino to clinch a convincing 4-0 victory on Saturday evening, while the Germans sealed a dominant win of their own after beating the Czech Republic 3-0 on the same night.

Read on for a preview of Tuesday's showdown, complete with live-stream details and a look at the biggest headlines surrounding the clash.

Date: Tuesday, October 11

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET

Venue: HDI Arena, Hannover, Germany

Live Stream: Sky Go app (UK)

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Germany	2	2	0	0	6	0	+6	6
2	Azerbaijan	2	2	0	0	2	0	+2	6
3	Northern Ireland	2	1	1	0	4	0	+4	4
4	Czech Republic	2	0	1	1	0	3	−3	1
5	Norway	2	0	0	2	0	4	−4	0
6	San Marino	2	0	0	2	0	5	−5	0

Two Teams Riding High

Northern Ireland were always going to struggle to come out on top of Group C with an opponent of Germany's quality present, but O'Neill's troops have succeeded in starting strongly in qualification.

Captain Steven Davis spoke positively of Tuesday's fixture against Germany, too, after noting that a win over San Marino on Saturday would provide a substantial boost in morale, per the Belfast Telegraph's Steven Beacom:

"

In our first qualifier we got a decent point away in Prague against the Czech Republic and that's given us something to build upon.

If we can manage to win the game versus San Marino, we can go out to Germany with a lot of confidence and a lot of hope that if we can put in a performance and who knows we can maybe take something from the game. I'm looking forward to both matches.

"

Davis opened the scoring on Saturday before a brace from Kyle Lafferty helped the Northern Irish hosts to a straightforward result on home soil, and the forward was evidently proud of his achievement:

Elsewhere, Thomas Muller scored twice for Germany in their 3-0 thumping of the Czech Republic, while Toni Kroos provided the other goal in a win to ensure Die Mannschaft remained at the head of Group C on goal difference.

Manager Joachim Low has two wins from two thus far in the pool stage, and the Germany boss will be wise to treat Northern Ireland as a real threat in a repeat of their Euro 2016 group meeting.

Spotless Records at Stake

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Not only do Germany and Northern Ireland enter Tuesday's encounter with unbeaten records to their name, but the two teams are yet to concede a goal in a combined four matches in Group C.

Fan account Bundesliga Fanatic recently commented on the sense of security Low must feel as Germany manager following another assured performance in the victory over the Czechs:

Even with emerging stars such as Shkodran Mustafi, Max Meyer and Joshua Kimmich coming through, Germany also have their own experienced gems present, per OptaFranz:

Northern Ireland have built a counter-attacking style based largely off their stingy back line, which saw them limit Germany's attacking chances during their Euro 2016 group encounter, where the latter emerged as 1-0 victors.

O'Neill's men may struggle to break down the line that Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will hold on Tuesday, but their restricted tactics mean the hosts may also see their scoring opportunities limited.