Northern Ireland get their 2024-25 Nations League campaign under way on Thursday as they welcome Luxembourg to Windsor Park for a clash in Group C3 where the pair could be hard to split.
Northern Ireland vs Luxembourg Betting Tips
- Draw @ 9/4 with BetMGM
- Callum Marshall to score any time @ 49/20 with BetMGM
- Under 8.5 corners @ 7/10 with BetMGM
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Close Belfast battle seems likely
Northern Ireland’s Euro 2024 qualifying campaign was one to forget as they took just nine points - six of which were earned against minnows San Marino - from a possible 30.
Recent wins over Scotland and Denmark suggest they have the talent to hurt sides like Luxembourg but they are inconsistent and have struggled in the Nations League over the years.
Michael O’Neill will be keen to get a better performance from his side in the Nations League but the Green and White Army have won just one of their previous 16 matches in UEFA’s newest international tournament.
Luxembourg, in contrast, have enjoyed some good times in the Nations League, losing just one of their last seven matches in the competition. A draw with Euro 2024 quarter-finalists Turkey is the standout result in that run, showing how they can mix it with some strong sides on their day.
That bodes well ahead of their trip to Belfast, where the Red Lions may have enough to earn a point. Recent away results have seen Luxembourg draw with Iceland, Turkey and Slovakia and also beat Bosnia and Herzegovina, suggesting they could earn a point against a Northern Irish side who may be vulnerable without recently retired stalwart Jonny Evans.
Northern Ireland vs Luxembourg Tip 1: Draw @ 9/4 with BetMGM
Marshall may finally break his duck
Dion Charles has been the Green and White Army’s go-to striker for a while now, but after a slow start to the season in which he has netted zero goals, the 22-cap man could lose his place to his natural successor Callum Marshall for Thursday’s clash.
Marshall, on loan at Huddersfield from West Ham, has scored two goals and assisted another in five matches this term - at an average of a goal involvement every 92 minutes.
The 19-year-old has been capped four times by his national side and is still searching for his first goal, but with wind in his sails a match against a side who have shipped 18 goals in their last six away games may have come at the perfect time.
Northern Ireland vs Luxembourg Tip 2: Callum Marshall to score any time @ 49/20 with BetMGM
Corner count could be low in cagey affair
Should Marshall score, it could be one of very few goals in Belfast as neither side are particularly renowned for a gung-ho approach.
As a result of Northern Ireland’s reserved style, just one of their last ten matches has seen a corner count higher than ten, and they are not great at racking up the set pieces themselves, managing only five in a home match against European whipping boys San Marino in October.
Luxembourg tend to employ a more defensive approach when playing away than when at home and, subsequently, have earned just 16 across their last nine road games.
Expect a low corner count when these two closely matched sides clash on Thursday.
Northern Ireland vs Luxembourg Tip 3: Under 8.5 corners @ 7/10 with BetMGM