The Swiss can get their party started, although they might be feeling a bit sheepish as they do so. Yes, they possess more talent than Northern Ireland, but they were run mighty close tonight and were almost taken to extra-time. Yet Ricardo Rodriguez, who scored that controversial decisive penalty in the first leg, cleared Jonny Evans’s goalbound header off the line in stoppage time and broke Northern Irish hearts in the process. Michael O’Neill’s side can be proud of their efforts. They almost took advantage of a bit of Swiss complacency and wastefulness. In the end, however, they’ll look back at the penalty that shouldn’t have been and wonder about what might have been. That’s all from me. Thanks for emailing and reading. Bye.

Switzerland are going to the World Cup!

90 min+4: Rodriguez curls it straight at Sommer.

90 min+3: Embolo wins a free-kick just outside the Northern Ireland area after slack play from Brunt.

90 min+2: Unbelievable.

90 min+1: Four added minutes. Northern Ireland have a corner. It’s cleared. Brunt puts it back into the area, Sommer misses it and Evans’s header is going in before Rodriguez wallops it off the line! Incredible!

90 min: Embolo fires over from 20 yards. Switzerland could do with some shooting practice before next summer.

89 min: Embolo speeds away on the left, but McGovern pushes his sot behind at his near post. “Very unjust if N. Ireland go out because of that shocking decision,” says Peter Ranell.

88 min: Embolo’s first act is to roll away from his man on the left, reach the byline and stab a cross back to Mehmedi, who can’t turn it in!

86 min: Breel Embolo replaces the hilariously blunt Haris Seferovic.

85 min: Zakaria bustles through the middle and opens Northern Ireland up with a pass to Seferovic. He leans back and lifts it over the bar. He has been shocking.

83 min: Switzerland are slightly hanging on to their advantage now. Northern Ireland chuck a long throw into the area. It flicks off Lichtsteiner, but Akanji boots clear.

82 min: Paddy McNair replaces Conor Washington. Gareth McAuley has gone up front. Hmm.

80 min: Remo Freuler replaces Shaqiri.

79 min: A booking for Jonny Evans for handball.

77 min: Seferovic flicks Shaqiri’s low corner wide at the near post.

76 min: Zuber fires over after taking down a long ball. It was deflected by McAuley.

75 min: Josh Magennis is on for Olivier Norwood and Jordan Jones replaces Jamie Ward.

73 min: The pitch has been reduced to a heap of mud.

71 min: “No soup fans out there, huh?” JR in Illinois says. “I make tons of soup for the six or seven months out of the year that it isn’t brutally hot here but would have trouble picking which I like best. Does chilli count as soup? I guess that’s a philosophical question. I’ve got an excellent white bean, kale, and roasted sweet potato soup in the fridge now. I’ve had a hankering for sweet and sour cabbage soup recently so that could be coming up soon. Off topic but I would say that if Northern Ireland want to be in the World Cup they should think about scoring a goal soon.”

Chilli does not count as soup.

69 min: Northern Ireland are on top at the moment. Switzerland are looking ropey and nervy.

67 min: A long free-kick is flicked on by McAuley to Dallas, who skilfully evades his man before sending a low cross into the middle. Schar diverts it behind. The corner comes to nothing. But they’ll have a second try.

65 min: Northern Ireland are running out of time. But they’re still in this.

61 min: Admir Mehmedi replaces Blerim Dzemaili. Northern Ireland get on with things. Washington superbly surges down the left and, suddenly, there’s precious space. The ball comes to Saville on the edge of the area ... but he scuffs a dire shot straight at Sommer. Gerry Armstrong lets out a low anguished moan.

60 min: Sommer comes off his line and just about claws a cross away from McAuley. Evans was also threatening.

57 min: Zuber escapes down the left and screws the ball across the face of goal. It only needed a touch. It didn’t get one because no one was there.

55 min: Dallas dashes down the left, but Schar slides in and deflects the ball off the winger and out for a goal-kick.

54 min: Xhaka carelessly concedes possession inside the Northern Ireland half and the visitors break. The ball’s brilliantly sprayed out to Ward on the right. He crosses for Washington, the only man in white in the Swiss area, but his looping header drifts just wide of the far post!

52 min: Shaqiri slithers a low ball into the six-yard box, but it’s cleared.

49 min: Rodriguez is invited to shoot from 25 yards. Almost. Just wide. Moments before, meanwhile, Schar was very lucky to escape after launching into a wild two-footed challenge on Dallas. He did similar on Thursday and this time a foul wasn’t even awarded. The defender got the ball, but he was out of control. That was a reckless leg-breaker.

47 min: Lichtsteiner runs and runs and runs, no one able to knock him off course, before he finds Zuber in space on the left of the area. He takes a touch and shoots, but another heroic block denies him! How many chances do Switzerland want?

46 min: Northern Ireland get the second half underway.

Switzerland are 45 minutes away from World Cup qualification.

45 min+1: Brunt wafts the free-kick over.

45 min: Ward cuts inside from the right and Schar clumsily brings him down.

42 min: Switzerland carve Northern Ireland open with a beautiful series of one-touch passes, only for Xhaka to stray offside. He blazed over from close range anyway.

40 min: Switzerland counter, but Shaqiri is offside after being put through by Seferovic. Wasteful.

39 min: Northern Ireland have done a bit better in the last few minutes actually. Switzerland have grown a little frustrated and have given away a few silly free-kicks.