NI to 'embrace' another tough Norway test - Oxtoby

Tanya Oxtoby's side trail 4-0 after Friday's first leg at Inver Park

Euro 2025 play-off final, second leg: Norway v Northern Ireland

Venue: Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo Date: Tuesday, 3 December Kick-off: 17:00 GMT

Coverage: Live on the BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app, plus live text commentary

Northern Ireland boss Tanya Oxtoby says her side are ready to "embrace" the challenge posed by Norway in the second leg of their Euro 2025 play-off in Oslo.

Oxtoby's side's hopes of reaching the tournament in Switzerland next year are all but over after their 4-0 first leg defeat in Larne on Friday.

But the Australian is hoping her side rise to the occasion in the second leg and show signs they have learned from mistakes made at Inver Park.

"We knew this particular play-off would be a challenge, but it is one we are embracing and want to continue learning from," she told BBC Sport NI.

"The players are positive about challenging themselves again - it is another tough test, but they are up for it."

Tuesday's game will be live on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.

'We have asked the girls to be brave'

Oxtoby pictured with Chloe McCarron after the 4-0 loss in the first leg

Oxtoby wants Northern Ireland to adopt a more valiant approach to the second leg given they have nothing to lose.

"Part of the performance piece is trying to go out and be a little bit more aggressive and get pressure on the ball and we showed second half we could do that," she continued.

"We have asked the girls to be brave and take themselves out of their comfort zones, so we will see if they can do that for 90 minutes and that will be the test to see if we have success or not."

Oxtoby believes her side must focus on what they can control rather than fixating on stopping Norway's threats due to the quality spread throughout Gemma Grainger's squad.

"When you play teams like Norway, they have quality all over the pitch and we have seen it come to the fore so if you try and shut down one option another pops up," Oxtoby added.

"We need to focus on ourselves and what we are going after. The players need to be ready for momentum shifts in the game and be comfortable under pressure."