Northern Ireland vs Belarus: betting odds November 15, 2024

The Matchday 5 clash in the Nations League between Northern Ireland and Belarus in Group 3 of League C will take place on November 15 at Windsor Park in Belfast. Northern Ireland vs. Belarus: prediction and betting odds, statistics.

Referee: Luis Godinho (Portugal)

Matches – 9 (International matches, 2023/24–2024/25);

Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 29;

Average yellow cards per match – 3.2;

Red cards shown – 1;

Average fouls per match – 26;

Penalties – 11%.

Predicted lineups for Northern Ireland vs. Belarus

Northern Ireland (3-4-3): Bailey Peacock-Farrell – Jamal Lewis, Daniel Ballard, Trai Hume – George Saville, Brodie Spencer, Shea Charles, Jordan Thompson – Josh Magennis, Dion Charles, Callum Marshall.

Belarus (3-4-3): Fyodor Lapoukhov – Alexander Martynovich, Sergey Politevich, Pavel Zabelin – Kirill Pechenin, Max Ebong, Vadim Pigas, Yevgeny Yablonsky – German Barkovsky, Valery Gromyko, Yevgeny Shikavka.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland achieved their biggest victory in Nations League history by thrashing Bulgaria 5-0 in the last round. This win was their second in the current tournament (1 draw, 1 loss). With these results, Michael O'Neill's side leads the group, ahead of their upcoming opponent by one point. Northern Ireland also tops the list of the most prolific teams in the group, having scored 7 goals.

• At least one team failed to score in Northern Ireland's last 4 Nations League matches.
• The team is unbeaten in their last 4 home matches in this tournament (3 wins, 1 draw), winning the last 3.
• Northern Ireland has scored at least 2 goals in their last 4 home Nations League matches.

Belarus

Belarus drew their last two matches in the tournament, with goalless games against Northern Ireland (0-0) and Luxembourg (1-1). The team remains unbeaten in the current Nations League campaign (1 win, 3 draws) and sits just behind Northern Ireland in the group standings, trailing by only one point. Notably, Belarus is among the 5 teams in League C that have not lost in the current season. Additionally, matches involving Belarus have the fewest goals in the entire League C, averaging just 0.8 goals per game.

Midfielder Valery Bocherov and forwards Vitaly Lisakovich, Pavel Savitsky did not receive visas and will not travel with the team for the upcoming match.

• No more than 2 goals have been scored in 9 of Belarus's last 10 Nations League matches.
• The team's unbeaten run in the Nations League stands at 5 matches (1 win, 4 draws).
• Belarus has won with a handicap (+1.5) in 9 of their last 10 away matches in this tournament.

Northern Ireland vs. Belarus: Match Prediction

Bookmakers have made the hosts overwhelming favorites for the upcoming match, possibly based on Northern Ireland's last Nations League result, where they defeated Bulgaria 5-0. However, that result does not fully reflect the nature of the game, as Michael O'Neill's side did not have such a dominant advantage, with an xG of only 1.49 compared to Bulgaria's 1.22. Furthermore, Northern Ireland's upcoming opponent rarely loses in the Nations League and has not been defeated in the current tournament.

Moreover, in the first-round match, Belarus managed to challenge Northern Ireland, ending in a 0-0 draw. Therefore, I disagree with the bookmakers regarding the balance of power. Yes, the hosts should be the favorites, but not by such a clear margin. I believe that the visitors, unbeaten in 5 Nations League matches, are capable of putting up a strong fight against the hosts. Even if they fail to earn points, they should not lose heavily to Northern Ireland.

Furthermore, Belarus has not lost by more than 1 goal in 14 of their last 15 Nations League matches, and Northern Ireland has not won by such a margin in 18 of their last 20 matches in this tournament. Additionally, in the current Nations League campaign, Carlos Alos Ferrer's team has conceded only one goal. Therefore, my prediction is “Belarus with a handicap (+1.5)”