Northern Ireland vs Cyprus Predictions

• Fewer than three goals have been scored in nine of Northern Ireland’s last ten home games (in 90 min).
• Cyprus have failed to scored one goal in total across their last ten away games.
• Cyprus have lost 13 of their last 14 away games and conceded 36 goals across that sequence.

Fans calling for Baraclough to go after Kosovo KO 

Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough may be under serious pressure now after three dismal Nations League results, but playing at home to Cyprus is as close to a guaranteed win as it will get for them.

The Green and White Army were calling for Baraclough’s sacking after Thursday’s 3-2 defeat to Kosovo in Pristina, although the Irish FA are likely to give him at least one more chance to get a win on the board.  His players owe him a performance on Sunday and, back at Windsor Park, we would expect Northern Ireland to create chances against the woeful Cypriots.

They did create enough to get all three points in Larnaca last week only for Ali McCann to miss the easiest of opportunities late on in a 0-0 draw. Cyprus’ inherent dodgy defending reappeared again on Thursday when they were trounced 3-0 by group leaders Greece in a one-sided affair that was over by half-time.

Cyprus can frustrate but they surely cannot score

Nikos Kostenoglou’s side have won only two of their last 17 matches across all competitions and have found the net on just four of those occasions. Just as worrying is their failure to stop opponents from scoring multiple times in each match with 36 strikes finding the back of their net in the last 12 games.

So we have to take Norn Iron for the win here and a win to nil must have a real chance of landing, particularly as the strength of Baraclough’s side lies in the centre of defence where experienced Jonny Evans and Arsenal youngster Daniel Ballard should be a sound combination.

But as it’s 6/4 for Northern Ireland to win to nil and around 5/2 for them to win with fewer than three goals in the game we’ll take a chance that the hosts don’t score three for the odds boost, given they have only scored once in their last six at home and not in their last four head-to-head meetings with Cyprus. A 1-0 win looks about the best Baraclough’s men could manage based on those recent and historic stats.