'Slovakia's Belfast return a huge marker for NI'

World Cup qualifying: Northern Ireland v Slovakia

Venue: Windsor Park, Belfast Date: Friday, 10 October Time: 19:45 BST

Coverage: Watch on BBC One NI and BBC iPlayer, listen on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Sounds, follow live text coverage on the BBC Sport website & app

It was 10 years ago this week that Northern Ireland beat Greece to seal qualification for Euro 2016 and what was then their first major finals in three decades.

The 3-1 win over the Euro 2004 champions on 8 October 2015 was inarguably one of Windsor Park's most memorable nights.

The stakes were similarly sky-high in play-off matches away to Switzerland and home to Slovakia in the campaigns that followed, albeit the results on those occasions did not go Northern Ireland's way.

And while the likes of Italy, the Netherlands and Germany have visited since, Slovakia's return to Belfast in 2026 World Cup qualifying on Friday night represents the biggest fixture for the hosts since Milan Skriniar and co. ended their hopes of making it to Euro 2020 almost five years ago.

Such is the youthful nature of a Northern Ireland squad still rebuilding after the retirements of stalwarts such as Jonny Evans, Steven Davis and Stuart Dallas in recent years, for many it will simply be the biggest game of their international careers to date.

Of the 27-man panel named by manager Michael O'Neill to face Slovakai and then Germany three days later, only Bailey Peacock-Farrell, George Saville and Euro 2016 veterans Josh Magennis and Paddy McNair played in that play-off five years ago, while Daniel Ballard, Conor Hazard and Ali McCann were unused substitutes.

This is an almost wholly new Northern Ireland team leading Dallas to write in his BBC Sport NI column this week that he did not "think memories of that game will be a factor" come Friday night.

Perhaps that is a double-edged sword. While players are not burdened by any past failures on a similar stage, few in the squad have experienced an international fixture of such consequence.

Their two past qualification campaigns were practically over before they started and, while they did go to Luxembourg needing a point to secure top spot in their Nations League group in November, the stakes here are hardly comparable

Liverpool's Conor Bradley spoke on Wednesday about the need to "manage the expectations" of a sold-out Windsor Park crowd, but added that he felt the side were "better prepared" now for such fixtures.

Isaac Price, meanwhile, talked of what he sees as the benefit of "confidence and some arrogance" among the young panel going into such a pivotal game.

O'Neill has consistently downplayed any notion of this game being bigger than the three points on offer, but how well his squad rise to the occasion will likely define not just this window but a qualifying group that is more open than anyone anticipated.

When the qualifying draw was made in December, there was an understandable assumption that Germany would top the group and seal automatic qualification with Northern Ireland, Slovakia and Luxembourg fighting among themselves for the play-off spot afforded to the runner-up.

Slovakia's victory over the four-time World Cup winners to kick things off last month has instead opened up myriad possibilities.

Friday night's visitors to Windsor Park, who followed up their shock result against the Germans with late victory in Luxembourg, know that another three points in Belfast would be a huge step towards booking their place at next summer's World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

While the side ranked 42nd in the world did not make the tournament in 2022, they reached the European Championships either side and were beaten by England at the last-16 stage in 2024 only after Jude Bellingham's spectacular 96th-minute overhead kick.

Manager Francesco Calzona is the first foreign boss in the country's history and came recommended by Slovakian legend Marek Hamsik from their time together at Napoli, where the Italian was an assistant coach.

Ties to the Serie A champions do not stop there with midfielder Stanislav Lobotka the side's key player. The 30-year-old, however, has emerged as a major injury doubt for the game on Friday.

Another with recent Champions League experience, Atletico Madrid full back David Hancko, is another who could miss out.

While O'Neill said he would not believe their absences until the pair were missing when the anthems are played at Windsor Park, should Slovakia be without both then Middlesbrough striker David Strelec will be expected to carry a greater load.

The performances of 19-year-old Feyenoord winger Leo Sauer for the national side have sparked excitement too.

In their own right, Northern Ireland come into the game buoyed by seeing five players feature in the same Premier League weekend for the first time in five years.

Striker Callum Marshall's West Ham debut from the bench against Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday saw him join Liverpool's Bradley, Crystal Palace's Justin Devenny and Sunderland duo Trai Hume and Daniel Ballard in featuring in the top flight this season.

Without a defeat in their past six games at Windsor Park, and having conceded just one goal during that run, the hosts can expect home advantage to be a factor too.

"We know that any success we have will have to be built here in Belfast," said O'Neill.

"The key in any qualification game is to take maximum points in your home games or take as close to maximum points in your home games. Home form is imperative for progression."

As Northern Ireland found to their cost when Slovakia were last in town, for teams with aspirations of making it to major finals, these are exactly the sort of games that must be won.