A Euro 2020 without Germany?

To speak of the German national team is to speak of, with the permission of Brazil, the most successful team on the football scene.

The four FIFA World Cups and three European Cups that adorn their shelves speak for themselves, as does their consistency at these major tournaments.

On a continental level, for example, Germany have finished runners-up on three occasions and reached the semi-finals on three more occasions.

In addition, the German side have not missed out on the big Old Continent tournament since 1968... but now there is a serious risk that they will be absent again.

The painful 2-4 defeat to the Netherlands left Die Mannschaft with no margin for error in a group led by Northern Ireland.

It is precisely this team that will host Germany on Monday in Belfast, and they cannot afford to make another mistake.