Switzerland vs Northern Ireland. FIFA World Cup European Qualifying Play-off Semi-finals.
St Jakob-ParkAttendance36,000.
1-0
Sunday 12 November 2017 20:28, UK
Northern Ireland will look to put the first-leg penalty controversy behind them when they face Switzerland in the second leg of their World Cup play-off on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Football from 4.30pm.
Having lost 1-0 at Windsor Park following a contentious penalty, Michael O'Neill's men arrive in Basel knowing no European team has ever recovered from a home loss in the opening encounter to reach the World Cup via that route.
The task is even more daunting given Switzerland have won nine competitive games in a row at home and England are the only country to have won a competitive fixture there since 2008.
However, Jonny Evans, whose brother Corry Evans conceded the spot-kick in Belfast, is not disillusioned, pointing to how O'Neill's team rallied at Euro 2016 when they faced potentially being the first team to be eliminated, and beat Ukraine to qualify for the knock-out phases.
"We're still in the tie, it's important not to get carried away," said Jonny Evans. "We still have the ability and character in the squad to turn it around.
"You look back at the Euros, we lost the opening game to Poland. We managed to come back and played unbelievable against Ukraine, so we will have to see. There's still a lot of motivation in the squad and a big prize there for us."
Though Northern Ireland felt aggrieved by the penalty decision in the first leg, particularly because Corry Evans received a yellow card that has ruled him out of the return leg, West Brom's Jonny Evans insists they have to realise there is still a chance to represent their country in Russia, 32 years after the last Northern Irishmen played at a World Cup.
"Most of us were just worried that we have the second game now and preparing for that," Jonny Evans added.
"We talked about that in the changing room - getting ourselves ready because we are still very much in the tie.
"Although the anger and disappointment is still brewing, we have to make sure we pick ourselves up and give everything going into the second game."
Stuart Dallas is a doubt for Northern Ireland after being on the receiving end of a lunging tackle from Fabian Schar in the first leg, with the Leeds winger suffering from a heavily bruised foot and travelling to Basel on crutches.
Meanwhile, Millwall midfielder George Saville is in line to make his first start in the absence of the suspended Corry Evans, although fit-again Paddy McNair provides an alternative option.
And both Jamie Ward and Conor Washington will be pushing for starts after lively cameos from the bench in Belfast.
Meanwhile, midfielder Valon Behrami is available for selection for Switzerland, although defender Fabian Frei has withdrawn due to a bereavement.
This will be the sixth meeting between Switzerland and Northern Ireland, with the Green and White Army still looking for their first victory in this fixture since April 1998 (1-0).
For Northern Ireland, this game will be just their second competitive away game against Switzerland, with the first trip ending in a 2-1 defeat in a World Cup Qualifier in 1964.
Ricardo Rodriguez's first-leg penalty was the fifth goal Northern Ireland have conceded in their last three internationals - they had kept five consecutive clean sheets prior to this run.
Switzerland, meanwhile, have now won 11 of their last 12 international games, with the only defeat in this run coming against EURO 2016 champions Portugal.
Vladimir Petkovic's side haven't lost an international game on home soil since May 2016 (1-2 v Belgium), winning seven since.
