Northern Ireland vs Slovenia prediction: EUROPE: Euro – Qualification betting tips on match 2023-10-16 18:45.
Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill admits he’s already got “one eye” on UEFA Euro 2028, after his team’s failure to qualify for next year’s UEFA European Championship was confirmed. The Green and White Army have endured a dismal qualifying campaign, losing five of their seven matches, with their only two wins coming against minnows San Marino, who are at the bottom of FIFA’s world rankings (207th).
One of those victories came at the weekend, and the manager is now calling on his side to “take that (winning) feeling” into their clash with Slovenia, where Northern Ireland will be attempting to pick up what would be just their fourth win from 19 home fixtures since September 2019 (D6, L9). But considering Northern Ireland are unbeaten in their three home H2Hs to date without conceding a single goal (W2, D1), they’re definitely in with a shout here.
That will be tough against an opposition who have already beaten them 4-2 during this qualifying campaign. Boss MatjaĹľ Kek will hope that result can inspire his side to write some history of their own, as three successive victories, the most recent of which came at home to fellow qualification contender Finland (3-0), moved his side to the top of Group H and within touching distance of reaching the Euro finals for the first time since 2000.
Slovenia’s campaign has in fact been so good that, with three games still remaining, they are already only one point short of their previous best haul of 17 points in a European Championship qualification cycle. Should they move past that total by picking up a further victory in this game, it will be enough to qualify early for Germany 2024 if the match between Finland and Kazakhstan ends as a draw.
Key battle: Josh Magennis has now helped Northern Ireland to victory in seven of the ten internationals in which he has scored (L3). Looking to thwart him will be Slovenia goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who has kept clean sheets in four of his last seven Euro qualifiers, losing just once (W6).
Hot stat: Only one of Northern Ireland’s seven Euro qualifiers saw both teams score on the day, coincidentally their 4-2 defeat away to Slovenia!