The UEFA Nations League continues this Saturday as Belarus face Northern Ireland at the ZTE Arena in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary. With Belarus joint top and Northern Ireland just one point behind, this Group C3 game is immensely important for both.
Let's dive into a preview of this encounter and explore some betting tips for the game.
How the bookies view it: Northern Ireland favourites
The bookmakers have given Northern Ireland a clear edge in this fixture with odds of 19/20 right now at Betano. In contrast, despite Belarus being 1st in the standings in Group C3, they are the underdogs with odds of 10/3. Then again, these two sides haven’t played one another yet in the group stage, so the respective standings don’t paint a definitive picture.
Head-to-head: Northern Ireland dominant
Historically, Northern Ireland have had the upper hand in this fixture. They've won all three of their previous encounters with Belarus, including two Euro qualification victories in 2019. That said, both of these wins came with just a 1 goal margin, while the other friendly game finished 3-0 to Northern Ireland.
Players to watch: Yevgeni Shikavka and Dion Charles
For Belarus, Yevgeni Shikavka is likely to lead the line and could pose a threat to the Northern Irish defence if he finds his stride. He is a super-experienced forward, and he will inevitably be crucial for Belarus if they are to get something from this game.
On the Northern Ireland side, Dion Charles is a player to keep an eye on. The Bolton Wanderers striker has been in good form in League One season, and he will be the target man up front in this one. He has performed well for Northern Ireland in important games historically, too – scoring in their 2-0 win over Denmark in the Euro qualifiers last November.
Predicted lineups
Despite the loss of Ivan Bakhar through injury, Belarus has most of their best players available here. Examples include Antilevski and Shikavka, as well as Martynovich to bring experience in the middle of the park. Northern Ireland also have a healthy squad with the added boost of Jamie Reid’s return, although we expect him to serve as a substitute.
Belarus possible starting lineup:
Lapoukhov; Volkov, Martynovich, Zabelin; Karpovich, Yablonsky, Ebong, Pyachenin; Gromyko, Shikavka, Antilevski
Northern Ireland possible starting lineup:
Southwood; Hume, McNair, Toal, Brown, Lewis; Bradley, Saville, S. Charles, Price; D. Charles
Anything else catch the eye?
Both of the last two Nations League games for these teams have involved fewer than 2.5 goals. Therefore, we believe the under 2.5 goals market is a good call here at odds of 4/9. This is especially true since their most recent game finished with just a 1-0 win for Northern Ireland.
Furthermore, Northern Ireland has won two of their three meetings with Belarus without conceding a goal. As a result of this statistic, we feel that the ‘BTTS – No’ option is another solid play at 8/15 odds.
This is a rare ‘No’ when it comes to European BTTS tips concerning the Nations League!
This UEFA Nations League match between Belarus and Northern Ireland will be played on Oct 12, 2024 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Belarus vs Northern Ireland prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
