Rafferty: Northern Ireland to Embrace ‘Underdog Tag’ in Euro 2025 Play-off

Laura Rafferty aims to assist Northern Ireland in securing qualification for two consecutive Euro finals. According to defender Laura Rafferty, Northern Ireland will carry the “classic underdog tag” into their Euro 2025 play-off encounter with Norway. Although Norway is favored by the odds, Rafferty expresses confidence that Northern Ireland can produce an upset and advance to the finals in Switzerland next summer. The first leg of the play-off is scheduled for Friday at Inver Park, with the second leg taking place in Oslo on Tuesday. “It’s a classic underdog tag that we’ve worn before,” Rafferty commented. “Coming up against one of the world’s best is incredible for us. We’ve got a young squad but I know that everyone is going to thrive under that.” Norway has secured victories against Northern Ireland three times in recent years. Their most recent encounter resulted in a 4-1 triumph for the Norwegians at the Euro 2022 finals, and they additionally claimed both qualifying matches for that tournament with 6-0 scores. Northern Ireland secured their spot in the play-off through a 2-1 extra-time victory against Croatia, while Norway comprehensively defeated Albania 14-0 on aggregate, which included a 9-0 win in Oslo. Rafferty is one of eleven players within Tanya Oxtoby’s squad who participated for Northern Ireland at the Euro 2022 finals, which took place in England. She describes playing in the country’s inaugural major tournament as “one of the best moments of my life,” a sentiment that is now contributing to their play-off ambitions. “It’s something you dream of as a kid, especially with a small country like ours,” the Rangers defender further stated. “It’s something that we’re all dreaming of. We’ve two 90-plus minutes to make that happen. “For me, I don’t want them to get in the way of our dreams. “It’s about taking accountability and making sure that our dreams happen.”