Match Overview: Northern Ireland vs Slovakia

This highly anticipated match, part of the 7th round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, will see Northern Ireland face off against Slovakia. The encounter is scheduled for October 10th at Windsor Park in Belfast. This comprehensive preview delves into the teams’ current form, provides a detailed forecast, betting odds, and key statistics.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s Current Form

Northern Ireland, led by Michael O’Neill, began their qualifying campaign by securing three points against Luxembourg (3:1). However, they suffered a 3:1 defeat to Germany in their last outing. This loss halted a three-match unbeaten run for the team in World Cup qualifiers, which included two wins and one draw. Notably, it was also the first time in 13 previous matches in this competition that they conceded more than two goals. Despite this, Northern Ireland has found the net in four of their last five World Cup qualifying games. Currently, the Islanders sit in second place in Group A.

• The team has scored no more than one goal in six of their last seven World Cup qualification matches.
• At home in this tournament, the national team has failed to win in five of their last six matches, recording three draws and two defeats.
• Northern Ireland has kept a clean sheet in eight of their last ten home World Cup qualification games.

Northern Ireland’s Predicted Lineup (4-4-2)

Bailey Peacock-Farrell – Daniel Ballard, Conor Bradley, Trai Hume, Paddy McNair – George Saville, Shea Charles, Justin Devenney, Isaac Price – Jamie Reid, Dion Charles.

Slovakia

Slovakia’s Performance Analysis

Slovakia enters this match with an impeccable record so far in the qualifiers. Under the guidance of Francesco Calzona, they secured a notable 2:0 home victory against Germany and followed it up with a 1:0 away win over Luxembourg. This impressive form extends their unbeaten streak in World Cup qualification to five matches, consisting of three wins and two draws. It’s worth highlighting that in four of these fixtures, the national team managed to score at least two goals. Furthermore, Slovakia has maintained a clean sheet in their last three consecutive games in this tournament, positioning them as the current leaders of Group A with 6 points.

• In six of Slovakia’s last eight World Cup qualification matches, at least one team failed to score.
• The team has remained undefeated in five of their last six away matches in this tournament, securing two wins and three draws.
• In six of their last eight away World Cup qualification games, the national team did not score more than one goal.

Slovakia’s Predicted Lineup (4-3-3)*

Martin Dúbravka – Milan Škriniar, Adam Obert, Norbert Gyömbér, Ľubomír Šatka – Ondrej Duda, Patrik Hrošovský, Matúš Bero – David Strelec, Dávid Ďuriš, Róbert Boženík.

Team News: Slovakia

Unfortunately, midfielder Stanislav Lobotka will be unavailable for this match due to a recent injury, which prevented his call-up to the squad.

Match Official

Referee Details

Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)

Referee Statistics

Matches Officiated: 18 (International fixtures, 2024/25 – 2025/26)

Yellow Cards: 63 (including second yellows)

Average Yellow Cards Per Match: 3.5

Red Cards: 1

Average Fouls Per Match: 23

Penalties Awarded: 17%

Match Prediction: Northern Ireland – Slovakia

Northern Ireland’s Defensive Strength

Michael O’Neill’s squad can view their start to the qualification campaign as largely positive. Despite two away fixtures, they managed a victory and suffered a respectable defeat to the group’s top seed. Northern Ireland has strong grounds to anticipate continued success in the tournament, especially as their next match is on home turf. Their home record in World Cup qualifiers is impressive, with no losses in eight of their last ten matches. The Northern Irish consistently secure points thanks to their robust defense: they’ve conceded no more than one goal in nine of their last ten home games in this competition, and remarkably, kept a clean sheet in eight of those encounters.

Slovakia’s Impregnable Defense

Slovakia also boasts a commendable defensive record. They are among only five teams in the current qualifying round who have yet to concede a single goal. A standout performance was their ability to neutralize Germany’s potent attack. When playing away, the Slovaks have allowed opponents to score more than once in just one of their last seven World Cup qualification matches. Despite their defensive solidity, Slovakia’s offensive output is somewhat modest: in six of their last eight away games in this tournament, the team has not managed to score more than one goal.

Final Prediction

Given that both teams demonstrate robust defensive capabilities, it is improbable that this match will feature a high number of goals. My forecast for this encounter is: “Total Goals Under 2.5”, with odds of 1.53. 1.53