Kosovo vs Northern Ireland
UEFA Nations League, KO: 19:45 Jun 9, 2022, Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina
NORTHERN IRELAND are already playing catch up in their Nations League campaign and they face a tough trip to Pristina on Thursday to face Kosovo.
Over 600 Northern Irish fans booed their team off at the weekend as they only draw 0-0 with a poor Cyprus side in Larnaca. That followed a weak 1-0 defeat at home to Greece.
The pressure is mounting on manager Ian Baraclough with the ex-Motherwell boss struggling to persuade their fans he's the best man for the job after a series of underwhelming performances.
Baraclough has a dismal record of just three wins in 18 games in the two years he has been in charge and the knives are out.
Kosovo showed how to win in Cyprus in their opening Nations League game with a fine 2-0 victory, although they then lost at home to Greece too, admittedly after being eventually reduced to nine men.
They are a side capable of running big nations close and then throwing in a few horror shows like losing to Jordan and Georgia at home.
With veteran French coach Alain Giresse in charge, they boast players in their squad who play in Engand, Italy, Spain and Germany.
How the bookies view it
The hosts are hovering just above the evens mark and the 13/11 with SBK is the best price on offer. Northern Ireland can be backed at 3/1 with Unibet and the draw is 43/20 with the same firm.
Recent head to heads
The nations have never met before. Here's Northern Ireland's goalless draw with Cyprus at the weekend below.
Players to watch
Classy Lille star Edon Zhegrova is a goal threat and netted in Kosovo's 2-0 win in Cyprus. He's also scored seven goals this season for Basel and then Lille. He is 9/2 with bet365 to score in the Balkans.
Kyle Lafferty played a big role in getting Kilmarnock promoted this season and he's usually a goal threat. He has scored 20 goals for his country and is 3/1 to score in Pristina.
Anything else catch the eye?
It's very hard to make a case for Northern Ireland to win anywhere these days. They haven't even scored in their last three games and in four out of five matches.
They have a manager who is under pressure and although Kosovo are inconsistent, they look the more likely to collect the three points, having scored five against Burkina Faso and two against Cyprus recently.
If the hosts are going to win, the likelihood is that they will do it to nil and the 9/4 on that with bet365 could be worth an investment.
This UEFA Nations League match between Kosovo and Northern Ireland will be played on Jun 9, 2022 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Kosovo vs Northern Ireland prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
