Match Preview for Northern Ireland v Luxembourg
Northern Ireland finish their Group A campaign at Windsor Park on Monday, aiming to close out World Cup qualifying with a third win of the section.
Michael O’Neill’s side cannot move from third place but have already secured a route into the World Cup play-offs via the Nations League, so there is still something tangible to play for.
Luxembourg arrive at the foot of the table searching for their first point of the campaign after five straight defeats.
The Red Lions showed some promising moments in recent games but remain without a major tournament appearance in their history and will be underdogs in Belfast.
Northern Ireland have the better recent head-to-head record and boast home advantage, which should give them the edge in a fixture that could be cagey early on.
Expect a disciplined and patient display from the hosts as they look to break down a compact Luxembourg rearguard.
Team news for Northern Ireland v Luxembourg
Northern Ireland will be without Dan Ballard (suspended) and George Saville (accumulated bookings). Ciaron Brown is likely to come into the defence alongside Paddy McNair and Ruairi McConville.
Conor Bradley should retain his place in midfield; Shea Charles and Ali McCann remain sidelined.
Luxembourg will again depend on Danel Sinani for goals, with Aiman Dardari providing support in the final third. Olivier Thill should keep his place after a strong showing versus Germany. Left-back Florian Bohnert is suspended.
Expected line-ups for Northern Ireland v Luxembourg
Northern Ireland: Peacock-Farrell; McConville, Brown, McNair; Hume, Bradley, Kelly, Devenny; Lyons, Charles, Price
Luxembourg: Moris; Jans, Korac, Carlson, Veiga; O Thill, Martins, Olesen, Barreiro; Sinani, Dardari
How to watch Northern Ireland v Luxembourg: TV channel, online stream
Northern Ireland vs Luxembourg will kick-off at 19:45 UK time on Monday, November 17. Fans can watch the game on BBC Three and on BBC iPlayer online.
The stats for Northern Ireland v Luxembourg
• Northern Ireland have won four of the last five meetings between the sides
• Northern Ireland sit third in Group A with six points from five games
• Luxembourg have lost all five qualifying matches and are bottom with zero points
• Northern Ireland have not been to the World Cup since 1986; Luxembourg have never qualified
• Dan Ballard and Florian Bohnert are suspended for this fixture
• Northern Ireland have secured a play-off place via the Nations League
Prediction
Northern Ireland
1
–
0
Luxembourg
A tight, low-scoring affair is most likely. Northern Ireland’s home advantage and superior recent record should be enough to eke out a narrow win.https://x.com/NorthernIreland/status/1989765632771199352
