Northern Ireland will be playing for mere pride when they tackle Slovenia at Windsor Park in Belfast on Tuesday evening.
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Northern Ireland vs Slovenia match stats and latest odds
With their Euro 2024 qualifying hopes all but over, Northern Ireland arrested a five-game losing streak with a 3-0 victory over Group H whipping boys San Marino last week.
Meanwhile, Slovenia holds all the cards as they sit at the summit of the table, with 16 points garnered from seven games.
While Northern Ireland still has three games left to play, they are all against teams above them in the group, and those most likely to seal or vie for a spot at next summer’s major tournament.
Things haven’t gone according to plan for Michael O’Neill during his spell in charge of Northern Ireland, but it is fair to say that this has been a transitional process.
Anyway, back to the here and now, and I have divulged a couple of betting tips for you to incorporate into your slips.
Slovenia to show no mercy
If you are to cast your mind back to the previous encounter between these two sides last month, it was rather pulsating to say the least.
Slovenia ran out 4-2 winners, and they punished the visitors’ defensive frailties, with Benjamin Sesko proving to be a constant menace on the evening.
Of course, O’Neill will have one eye on the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, as well as Euro 2028 where Ireland will be joint hosts.
In terms of the scoring stats, Slovenia has rifled home 16 during qualifying, with only England, Spain, Switzerland, and Portugal scoring more.
Slovenia have also not been shy in terms of attempts on goal, racking up 101 across their seven games, and Northern Ireland could be bombarded with attacks.
Anyway, I think this could be another tough evening for Northern Ireland, and for my first pick, I have gone with Slovenia to win to nil, which is trading at 9/4 with Coral.
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Northern Ireland vs Slovenia Tips
We are backing the visitors to win to nil
Benjamin Sesko to play starring role
As mentioned, Sesko was the catalyst in Slovenia’s coruscating display against Northern Ireland earlier in the campaign.
He provided an assist and scored, and he’s hit his stride, netting eight times for club and country over the past six weeks.
Sesko, who has four goals to his name during qualifying, could be a thorn in the Northern Ireland defence, and run them ragged.
If given half a chance, Sesko will grab it more often than not, and while he’s over-priced in the multi-scorer market, I think Sesko could net a double to help Slovenia take a giant step towards booking their place at Euro 2024.
So, if you fancy following up on this, William Hill has offered odds of 14/1 for Sesko to collect a brace.
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