Northern Ireland will look to continue their impressive and unbeaten start to this Nations League campaign on Saturday evening vs a struggling Ukraine side.
Michael O’Neill’s men will be quietly holding aspirations of promotion to League A, though a strong performance at Belfast’s iconic Windsor Park is required to keep the dream firmly alive.
And the hosts are without inspirational defender Daniel Ballard for this fixture, with the Sunderland ace still recovering from the hamstring injury suffered in the previous international break.
But this remains a fantastic opportunity for the Northern Irish, and below is our full online betting preview, with tips and the latest Nations League odds.
And if multiple markets for this game pique your interest, remember you can combine them into one single wager with the brilliant Bet Builder tool. Play your way at NetBet Sport!
Where can I watch Northern Ireland vs Ukraine in the UK?
Northern Ireland vs Ukraine will be broadcast live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, with kick-off scheduled for 7:45pm UK time.
Northern Ireland vs Ukraine Preview
Recent results
Northern Ireland kicked off their Nations League campaign with a huge 1-0 win at Georgia, before a 0-0 home draw with Hungary. O’Neill’s men then beat Ukraine 3-0 in Trnava, followed by another 0-0 draw at Windsor Park vs Georgia.
Ukraine started well with a 1-0 win in Hungary, before drawing 0-0 with Georgia. But things have gone wrong since for Andrea Maldera’s team, with the 3-0 loss to Northern Ireland followed by a 2-1 defeat vs Hungary.
Head-to-head record
Northern Ireland’s two victories over Ukraine came in the last three matches. The previous game hosted at Windsor Park between these sides way back in October 2002 finished 0-0.
Team news
*Squads may change
Northern Ireland squad
Goalkeepers – Conor Hazard, Pierce Charles, Dermot Mee
Defenders – Ciaron Brown, Brodie Spencer, Paddy McNair, Trai Hume, Ruari McConville, Terry Devlin, Tom Atcheson, Michael Forbes
Midfielders – Ethan Galbraith, Justin Devenny, Shea Charles, Isaac Price, Paul Smyth, Jordan Thompson, Patrick Kelly, Kieran Morrison
Forwards – Josh Magennis, Callum Marshall, Jamie Donley, Braiden Graham, Ceadach O’Neill, Eoin Kenny
Ukraine squad
Goalkeepers – Georgiy Yermakov, Anatoliy Trubin, Dmytro Riznyk
Defenders – Bogdan Mykhailichenko, lllia Krupskyi, Eduard Sarapii, Taras Mykhavko, Valeriy Bondar, Illia Zabarnyi, Oleksandr Drambayev, Ivan Varfolomieiev, Vitaliy Mykolenko, Mykola Matviyenko
Midfielders – Volodymyr Brazhko, Andry Yarmolenko, Georgiy Sudakov, Oleksandr Nazarenko, Mykola Shaparenko, Oleksandr Pikhalonok, Oleh Ocheretko, Yehor Nazaryna, Maksym Khlan, Vladyslav Veleten
Forwards – Roman Yaremchuk, Matvii Ponomarenko, Vladyslav Vanat, Danylo Sikan, Viktor Tsygankov, Oleksandr Zubov, Ihor Krasnopir
Northern Ireland vs Ukraine Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Northern Ireland are slight favourites ahead of kick-off at a price of 2.28. A win for Ukraine is at odds of 3.21, while the draw is 2.94.
Northern Ireland vs Ukraine Betting Tips
Draw no bet – Northern Ireland @ 1.62
Northern Ireland lost just one of their last 13 home matches, a very impressive record indeed. The only team to beat them in that timeframe is Germany, and that was only a 1-0 victory! So siding with the hosts in DNB feels like a wise pre-match option.
Double chance – Northern Ireland win or draw @ 1.32
And if you wish to take less of a risk with regard to the match outcome, this looks like the perfect market. Three of Northern Ireland’s previous 13 home games finished as a draw, while Ukraine’s previous away contest in this competition was a 0-0.
Total goals – Under 2.5 @ 1.51
Over 2.5 goals were scored in just one of Northern Ireland’s previous nine competitive games, and that was the 3-0 win over Ukraine on Matchday 3! But in terms of home Northern Ireland matches, this selection was a winner in each of the last nine contests, therefore making it a standout pre-match pick.
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