Northern Ireland will look to maintain an unbeaten start to the 2026-27 Nations League when they take on Ukraine this Friday evening.
The Ukrainians also enter the fixture without suffering a defeat in the extended internatonal break, with both sides now holding aspirations of topping Group B2.
Friday night’s match will be hosted at the Anton Malatinsky Stadium in Trnava, Slovakia, and our full online betting preview is available below.
We have picked out some tips based on the latest Nations League odds, while our great Bet Builder feature is ready to use on all games in the UEFA competition. Play your way at NetBet Sport!
Where can I watch Ukraine vs Northern Ireland in the UK?
Ukraine vs Northern Ireland will be broadcast live on BBC Two, BBC Two NI and BBC iPlayer, with kick-off scheduled for 7:45pm UK time.
Ukraine vs Northern Ireland Preview
Recent results
Ukraine opened their 2026-27 Nations League account with a vital 1-0 win over Hungary, before drawing 0-0 with Georgia on Monday evening. Overall, a pretty positive start for Andrea Maldera’s men.
Northern Ireland began proceedings with a huge 1-0 victory in Georgia, Fulham ace Shea Charles scoring a dramatic late winner in Tbilisi after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had missed from the penalty spot. Matchday 2 saw Michael O’Neill’s outfit draw 0-0 with Hungary at Windsor Park, a game which was bereft of clearcut goalscoring chances.
Head-to-head record
Ukraine and Northern Ireland played each other on six previous occasions, with the former claiming three wins and two contests finishing as a draw.
Northern Ireland’s sole win was recorded in the group stage of Euro 2016, a 2-0 victory which will live long in the memory.
Ukraine won the most-recent meeting in June 2021, a 1-0 friendly success secured by a goal from Oleksandr Zubov.
Team news
Everton left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko has been ruled out of this fixture, which is a big blow for Ukraine. Illia Zabarnyi should return to the starting XI, with the Paris Saint-Germain defender an unused substitute in the draw with Georgia.
Northern Ireland have been dealt a defensive blow of their own, though. Sunderland centre-back Daniel Ballard injured his hamstring against Georgia on Matchday 1 and is subsequently unavailable here. But his Black Cats colleague Trai Hume – another talismanic figure alongside Charles – is ready to earn his 34th international cap.
Ukraine vs Northern Ireland Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Ukraine are the favourites ahead of kick-off at a price of 1.87. An away victory for Northern Ireland is at odds of 4.20, while the draw here is 3.16.
Ukraine vs Northern Ireland Betting Tips
Draw no bet – Northern Ireland @ 3.05
We are taking a slight risk with our first pick, given Northern Ireland are comfortably the pre-match underdogs. But O’Neill’s men gave a fantastic account of themselves in Georgia, and have lost just one of their last five matches. If the designated away side can weather a potential early storm and get a foothold in the game, another special night in the Nations League could be on the cards.
Double chance – Northern Ireland win or draw @ 1.82
This is a less-risky way to take a punt on another positive away display from Northern Ireland. It is a selection which landed in four of the Green and White Army’s last six matches, with France and Italy the only teams to beat them in the year of 2026. Furthermore, Ukraine were far from great in the 0-0 draw with Georgia, conceding 14 shots (five on target) in an uninspiring display.
Total goals – Under 2.5 @ 1.52
Goals have been at a premium in recent matches involving these sides. This selection landed in each of Ukraine’s last four games, as well as nine of Northern Ireland’s previous 10 matches. With the added pressure of top spot in the group being on the line, a low-scorer surely beckons.
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