Bradley says Northern Ireland have experience and quality to test Slovakia and Germany

Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley believes Northern Ireland now have the experience and quality to test Slovakia and Germany in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Northern Ireland opened their qualification campaign with a 3-1 win at Luxembourg last month, before producing a spirited performance in a 3-1 loss to Germany in Koln.

Serge Gnabry put Germany ahead, but Isaac Price got Northern Ireland on level terms before second-half strikes from Nadiem Amiri and Florian Wirtz fired Julian Nagelsmann’s side to victory.

Northern Ireland approach Friday’s game against Slovakia at Windsor Park second in Group A, three points behind their opponents and ahead of Germany on goals scored.

Michael O’Neill’s team then face Germany three days later, rounding off a double-header that could make or break their qualifying campaign.

Northern Ireland have won each of their last four competitive home games by an aggregate score of 11-0.

They last won five straight home matches in September 2017 but have never previously done so to nil.

And Bradley believes they have never previously had a better opportunity to test the world’s top teams.

“Windsor Park will probably be at its best over the two games so we have to manage the expectations of that,” Bradley said on Thursday.

“I’ve a lot of faith in the team. We have a really good group of players.

“We feel more prepared than we did for the last Euros campaign. We’ve a bit more experience now and hopefully that will help us.”

Our senior men have arrived at the @ClearerTwist National Stadium at Windsor Park for MD-1 training #GAWA pic.twitter.com/qXzoUkimF2

— Northern Ireland (@NorthernIreland) October 9, 2025

Slovakia followed up their win over Germany by edging out Luxembourg 1-0, and they could now win their first three matches in a World Cup qualification campaign for only the second time, after 1998.

“I was surprised they beat Germany, I think everyone was,” Bradley said of Slovakia. “Germany are a top team and not many sides have beaten them in the last few years.

“Slovakia are a very good team with good players, but we have some good players too, so we’re looking forward to it.”

Northern Ireland last won two of their first three games in a qualifying campaign in 1984, ahead of the 1986 World Cup – the last edition of the tournament they qualified for.