Match Overview

This fifth-round fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign will see Luxembourg take on Northern Ireland on September 4th at the Stade de Luxembourg. This article provides an in-depth match preview, including odds and statistics for the Luxembourg vs. Northern Ireland encounter.

Luxembourg Team Analysis

In the previous qualifying cycle, the Luxembourg national team finished fourth in Group A. They secured 3 victories and suffered 5 defeats, only managing to surpass Azerbaijan in the standings. Notably, two of their three wins came against Azerbaijan. However, Luxembourg conceded goals in both encounters with the Azerbaijanis, and across their last 10 World Cup qualifiers, the team has kept just one clean sheet. Their recent Nations League campaign was also unsuccessful, with Luxembourg finishing last in Group C.

Recent Coaching Change

In August, Jeff Strasser, who earned nearly 100 caps for the national team, took over as head coach.

Luxembourg’s Key Statistics

• At least three goals have been scored in 6 of Luxembourg’s last 7 World Cup qualifying matches.
• At home in this tournament, the national team has failed to win 8 of its last 10 matches (1 draw, 7 losses).
• The team has found the back of the net in 5 of its last 7 home World Cup qualification games.

Luxembourg Expected Lineup (4-5-1)

Anthony Moris – Laurent Jans, Florian Bohnert, Dirk Carlson, Enes Mahmutovic – Danel Sinani, Leandro Barreiro, Mathias Olesen, Seid Korac, Olivier Thill – Ivandro Borges.

Northern Ireland Team Analysis

In their last qualifying campaign, Northern Ireland finished third in Group C, behind Italy and Switzerland. The Northern Irish secured two victories against Lithuania (along with 3 draws and 3 losses) and ended up 7 points adrift of second place. It’s worth noting that the team scored only 6 goals throughout the campaign, failing to score in five of those matches. Furthermore, Northern Ireland performed significantly better than Luxembourg in their most recent Nations League, finishing first in their group and earning promotion to League B.

Northern Ireland’s Key Statistics

• At least one team failed to score in 9 of Northern Ireland’s last 11 World Cup qualifying matches.
• In 5 of their last 6 away matches in this tournament, the national team has scored no more than one goal.
• The team has not won 5 of its last 6 away World Cup qualifiers (1 draw, 4 losses).

Northern Ireland Expected Lineup (4-4-2)

Bailey Peacock-Farrell – Brodie Spencer, Conor Bradley, Trai Hume, Daniel Ballard – Alistair McCann, Shea Charles, George Saville, Isaac Price – Dion Charles, Callum Marshall.

Team News

Defender Paddy McNair has withdrawn from the squad due to injury.

Match Official

Andris Treimanis (Latvia)

Referee Statistics

Matches officiated – 11 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);

Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 66;

Average yellow cards per match – 6;

Red cards shown – 3;

Average fouls per match – 29;

Penalties awarded – 27%.

Luxembourg – Northern Ireland Match Prediction

Previous Encounters Analysis

These teams faced each other in the last Nations League campaign. Northern Ireland secured a 2-0 victory at home, while the match in Luxembourg ended in a 2-2 draw. In that particular game, both teams displayed an uncharacteristically high scoring rate. In the upcoming fixture, I believe a repeat of such a goalfest is unlikely.

Luxembourg’s Offensive Struggles

Luxembourg struggled offensively in the 2024/25 Nations League, despite not facing exceptionally strong opponents in their group. The team managed to score in only two of their six matches. In World Cup qualification, Luxembourg’s scoring prowess has also been limited, even on home soil: the team has not scored more than one goal in 9 of its last 10 matches.

Northern Ireland’s Away Goal Scoring Record

Five of Northern Ireland’s six goals in the previous qualifying campaign came against Lithuania. Their 4-1 away victory against the Baltic side stands out as an anomaly compared to the team’s other results. It was the only time in their last 6 away World Cup qualifiers that Northern Ireland managed to score more than one goal. Furthermore, in 4 matches during this period, the team failed to score at all.

Final Betting Tip

My prediction: «Total Under 2.5 Goals» with odds of 1.40