The final countdown to UEFA Euro 2024 has officially begun as we approach a string of highly anticipated international friendlies. Some of the nations that are playing this week are heading for the big tournament and others aren’t, but either way, it’s important for all of them to try and build some momentum. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the impending clash between Northern Ireland and Andorra.
Northern Ireland Form GuideNorthern Ireland made their one and only appearance in the European Championships back in 2016, where they managed to make it all the way through to the knockouts. Ever since then, though, they haven’t been able to find the same level of success. Michael O’Neill is determined to bring through a crop of fresh, young talent, but there are still far more questions than answers.
For Northern Ireland, qualifying wound up being pretty disappointing. They won just three of their 10 games and finished 5th in their group behind Denmark, Slovenia, Finland and Kazakhstan, and they were 13 points off the pace of the automatic qualification spot.
Andorra Form GuideAndorra are the definition of minnows at the international level. A win, or even a draw, is considered a valuable result for them, and their fanbase is well aware of that. They don’t have the resources necessary to compete with the elite right now and while the Nations League certainly helps the smaller countries, they’re a long way away from where they need to be.
While Andora may have finished bottom of their qualifying group, it wasn’t a total disaster by any stretch. They did lose eight of their ten games but they also picked up two draws and scored three goals which, by their standards, you’d have to say should be considered progress.
Match PredictionIn a game like this, the whole point is to do everything in your power to make an impact - but at the same time, there are far more important matches that lie ahead. At the same time, we do expect it to be an entertaining game with plenty of chances, which is why we’re still going to back over 2.5 goals scored.
