Bet on the visitors to draw another blank
UEFA Euro Qualifiers: Thursday 7 Sept, 7:45pm
Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland side face a tough trip to Slovenia in a Euro 2024 qualifier on Thursday. Placed 4th and 5th respectively in their group, this is a match they will both be desperate to win.
Slovenia vs Northern Ireland 07/09/2023 – preview
Northern Ireland have been unlucky in their recent qualifying matches, losing three in a row by a single goal. They have also been severely hampered by injuries.
Victory against San Marino was to be expected but a 97th-minute equaliser in Denmark was not in the script and it isn’t in the history books after VAR intervened.
Slovenia find themselves fourth in the group on seven points, just two behind second-place Kazakhstan, while Northern Ireland are teetering on the edge.
They could do with a win in Ljubljana, but this doesn’t look like an easy fixture. The hosts have held Denmark here and have beaten Kazakhstan on their travels.
However, they are prone to blunders against lower-ranking sides. They’ve lost just three of their previous 23 home matches but have been held to eight draws in that time.
Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Malta and Latvia have all frustrated them in qualifiers and Michael O’Neill’s side will be looking to keep things tight and seize their moment.
They’ve done no worse than come out on the wrong side of a one-goal margin in 21 of their last 23 outings, but that’s largely because they struggle in these types of games.
The hosts are putting together a solid qualifying campaign and while the visitors may frustrate them, it’s worth noting they’ve lost seven of 10 on their travels and conceded at least two in six of those.
Slovenia vs Northern Ireland 07/09/2023 – Suggested bets
- Slovenia to win
- Slovenia to win to nil