Summary

  • Rodriguez penalty after Corry Evans penalised for handball

  • Second leg in Basel on Sunday

  • Result: Croatia 4-1 Greece

  1. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 21:02 Greenwich Mean Time 9 November 2017

    #bbcfootball

    Colin Reardon: That is the most outrageous penalty decision I've ever seen - and a yellow card too!!! 10 seconds of TV replay would resolve!

    Neil Jones: That is one of the worse decisions I have seen playing or watching football for 30 years

    Stevedwhittle: That's never a penalty, not in a million years is that a penalty

  2. Postpublished at 60 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-1 Switzerland

    The referee continues to make friends in Belfast by awarding a free-kick against a home player as he attempts to latch on to a long throw in the Swiss box.

  3. 'Heartbreak for Northern Ireland'published at 21:00 Greenwich Mean Time 9 November 2017

    Northern Ireland 0-1 Switzerland

    Keith Gillespie
    Former Northern Ireland winger on BBC Radio 5 live

    The Swiss players didn't even appeal for a penalty which makes it worse. If they carve you open and score a goal, that's one thing, but to give a penalty like that is ridiculous.

    Two key decisions have gone against us - the (non) sending-off and then that. It's heartbreaking for us.

  4. goal

    GOAL - Northern Ireland 0-1 Switzerlandpublished at 59 mins

    Ricardo Rodríguez

    Ricardo Rodríguez makes no mistake, sending the keeper the wrong way.

    It is a goal Switzerland probably deserve but not from these set of events. Deliberate handball? No. What else could Evans do but turn his body and block?

    Switzerland celebrate making it 1-0Image source, Reuters
  5. PENALTYpublished at 57 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Switzerland

    This is harsh. Very harsh.

    Xherdan Shaqiri's volley from range fires straight at Corry Evans, who is just a few yards away, and strikes him around the shoulder. The ref blows, points to the spot and then shows Evans a yellow that means he misses the second leg.

    No wonder the home side are complaining.

    The penalty appealImage source, Reuters
  6. Postpublished at 56 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Switzerland

    Oh, so close again! Brilliant work from Blerim Dzemaili in the box ends with a low, angled ball across the face of goal and behind the Northern Ireland defence. Any contact from Haris Seferovic sends the ball into the net, but his diving attempt fails to provide the contact he needs. Another let-off for Northern Ireland.

    Switzerland's Seferovic misses a chanceImage source, Reuters
  7. goal

    GOAL - Croatia 4-1 Greecepublished at 50 mins

    Andrej Kramaric

    Game over. Probably tie over.

    It is another shocking defensive error, this time from Konstantinos Stafylidis, whose attempted chest back to his own keeper allows Sime Vrsaljko to nip in and set up Andrej Kramaric for a close-range finish.

  8. SUBSTITUTIONpublished at 52 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Switzerland

    Jamie Ward replaces Stuart Dallas.

  9. Postpublished at 50 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Switzerland

    Haris Seferovic is clear in the box to steer a shot into Michael McGovern's grasp. The flag is up, though. Offside.

  10. Postpublished at 49 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Switzerland

    Jamie Ward is getting ready on the bench. Stuart Dallas gave it a go, but I think his evening is over.

    Dallas gets injuredImage source, Reuters
  11. Postpublished at 48 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Switzerland

    Northern Ireland free-kick.

    Before the ball can even reach the box from the delivery the ref blows to give a free-kick to Switzerland. For holding? Shirt-pulling? They were all at it. Could easily have gone the other way.

  12. Postpublished at 20:48 Greenwich Mean Time 9 November 2017

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Switzerland

    Keith Gillespie
    Former Northern Ireland winger on BBC Radio 5 live

    I think we all thought Chris Burnt was going to head clear but he got under the ball. We were sat right behind it and the shot looked destined for the top corner. An early warning for us.

  13. Postpublished at 46 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Switzerland

    Doesn't get much closer than this!

    The ball is allowed to reach Xherdan Shaqiri on the right corner of the box - bad idea - and his curling effort bends just a few inches over the join of crossbar and post.

  14. Postpublished at 46 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Switzerland

    Stuart Dallas is back out there. Tough.

  15. KICK-OFFpublished at 20:46 Greenwich Mean Time 9 November 2017

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Switzerland

    We are back under way. You can recommence chewing your fingers to the bone now.

  16. Danger manpublished at 20:45 Greenwich Mean Time 9 November 2017

    Northern Ireland v Switzerland (19:45 GMT)

    Northern Ireland have not lost any of the 17 matches in which Kyle Lafferty has scored.

    As the late, great Graham Taylor would say, hit Kyle! HIT KYLE!

    Kyle LaffertyImage source, BBC Sport
  17. Postpublished at 20:44 Greenwich Mean Time 9 November 2017

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Switzerland

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  18. Postpublished at 20:42 Greenwich Mean Time 9 November 2017

    John O'Neill
    Former Northern Ireland defender on BBC Radio Ulster

    Northern Ireland are lucky to be going in at 0-0. They have not turned up and in the second half they have to produce a performance which the occasion demands. Whether it is nerves, I do not know. The long ball up to Lafferty is too predictable and the Swiss are dealing with it comfortably. There has to be a vast improvement in the second half.

  19. Jumping for more goals...published at 20:37 Greenwich Mean Time 9 November 2017

    Half-time: Croatia 3-1 Greece

    Modric celebratesImage source, Getty Images

    We reach half-time in Zagreb with Greece clinging on to any hope of reaching Russia 2018.

    A double save from Orestis Karnezis - villain for the opening Croatia goal - prevents the hosts from making it 4-1 at the break.

    They will make do with a 3-1 lead in a game where all four goals have featured very slack defending. There are likely more goals to come.

    Croatia have seen 67% of possession and had 10 shots to just one by the visitors. So those goals we predict, they may well come for the home side.

  20. HALF-TIMEpublished at 45 mins

    Croatia 3-1 Greece

    The home side in complete control.

    Just when Greece thought they were back in, Croatia spat them back out.