Germany have qualified for the last 16 of the European Championships as Group C winners after defeating Northern Ireland 1-0 in Paris.

Mario Gomez scored the only of the game in the 30th minute to give his side the three points. It should have been much more but Michael McGovern made loads of great saves through the game to keep his team in with a chance of qualifying for the last 16 as one of the four best third-place sides.

Germany started the game on the front foot

The Germans started the game on the front foot, keeping the ball well and should have scored when Mesut Özil played a lovely through ball to Thomas Müller who was one on one with goalkeeper McGovern but the striker failed to score as the goalkeeper came off his line quickly to smother the shot to stop his side from going behind. 

McGovern made so many fantastic saves during the game | Photo: Getty
McGovern made so many fantastic saves during the game | Photo: Getty

McGovern was called into action again soon after when a beautiful ball from Jerome Boateng found Özil in space in the box but the midfielder saw his shot well saved by the Northern Ireland keeper. 

Mario Götze was next to see to see a shot well saved by McGovern who needed to be in fine form in the early part of the game to stop his side from going behind.

Müller had yet another chance for Germany but he just saw his shot go just wide of the goal after Gomez played a lovely ball into the path of the striker. 

Müller then hit the post with a diving header from a lovely cross from Joshua Kimmich as Northern Ireland just couldn't stop the onslaught of pressure from the World Champions.

Gomez gave Germany a well deserved lead

The goal did finally come for Germany in the 30th minute when Gomez put the ball into an empty net. Gomez played a lovely one-two before the goal with Müller who done brilliantly to keep his feet before giving it back to Gomez who finally broke the Northern Ireland resistance.

Germany were so close to a second soon after that as Muller once again had another chance as this time he hit a lovely shot onto the bar with McGovern beaten. 

The rest of the first half saw Germany keep the ball but they failed to score a second as Northern Ireland were glad to get to half-time only one goal behind.

Germany started were they left off at the beginning of the second half as Götze found himself one on one with McGovern but the goalkeeper got down well to save from close range.

The Northern Ireland defence battled hard during the second half | Photo: Getty
The Northern Ireland defence battled hard during the second half | Photo: Getty

McGovern's brillance keeps the score to one

Sami Khedira was next to test McGovern with a long range effort which he did well to save but he could only put the ball into the path Gomez who just had to head the ball into the net but he put his header wide of the goal.

Germany kept the ball for large periods of the game after the Gomez chance but the Northern Ireland defence were defending much better than they did in the first half to stop Germany from creating too many chances.

Germany though did create a great chance again finally after having so much possession when a lovely ball from Kimmich into the box found Gomez but the striker saw his shot wonderfully saved by McGovern.

Northern Ireland stood firm after that chance and saw the game through to lose only by one goal which after the barrage of chances that Germany created was a good effort by the whole team.

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