Northern Ireland vs Israel Predictions

Northern Ireland got off to a shaky start in their UEFA Nations League campaign, losing 2-1 at home to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The hosts are pressing to get back on track this week, and they have another clash at Windsor Park as they try to build up form. The Ulstermen have a huge test ahead of them in October, and they’ll be looking to get some momentum behind them going in to that. Meanwhile, the visitors are also looking to bounce back, but will their travel woes affect that?

The hosts are looking at two huge trips next month, as they head to Austria and Bosnia in the Nations League. That means next month will make or break their hopes of getting in to the top tier of the Nations League, and their attempts at challenging for a Euro 2020 play-off spot. While there’s nothing on the line in this week’s visit of Israel, they will be looking to return to winning ways before the focus switches to their big Nations League away days.

Israel lost their opening match of the Nations League to Albania, which has already put them at a disadvantage. They’re warming up for a pair of meetings with Scotland by making this trip to another side from the UK. The visitors had a tough time during their last qualifying campaign, so their chances of making the Euros in two years’ time rests on results in the Nations League.

The visitors come here in terrible form, having lost six of their last seven matches. They are fresh from defeats in three of their last four away trips. While their recent friendly results have seen them win just two of their last 12 on the road, losing nine of those. That’s a poor record to take to the notoriously tough Windsor Park, especially given how the place tends to inspire the Ulstermen under the lights.

The hosts have been excellent at their own ground of late. They won four of five home group matches at Windsor, keeping a clean sheet in all of those victories. They’ve also won five of their last six non-competitive home matches, a run which saw them lose to Croatia, but beat the likes of Slovenia and South Korea. That’s not the worst run, and Michael O’Neill’s side will be banking on that to turn around their fortunes. We’re backing them to recover from their Bosnia loss with a win here, and we think NI are good value to claim a win on Tuesday.