Slovenia vs. Northern Ireland: preview and betting tips

Slovenia’s team made the Europa Conference group stage, and now the goal is to qualify the national team for the Euros. Northern Ireland await in a promising qualifier, what to expect from the game and what to bet on?

Slovenia are showing quality so far in a very even group. After four rounds they have seven points, two points behind the top two. In the last six games, they have a record of four wins and one draw and a loss.

Northern Ireland, on the other hand, is a disappointment. It has only beaten the amateurs from San Marino, otherwise it is not doing well at all. All three defeats were by 0:1, which is indicative of an inability to handle evenly matched games.

Slovenia’s key figures

Benjamin Šeško is the mainstay of the home team, the Leipzig striker has scored twice in the first three games of the season. Andraž Šporar helped Panathinaikos into the Europa League group stage with three goals in six Champions League qualifying matches.

Northern Ireland’s key figures

Striker Dion Charles has scored five times in seven games for third-tier Bolton and is also a mainstay of the national team. Offensive partner Shayne Lavery is also thriving in League One, the Blackpool striker has struck twice so far.

Slovenia rely on a solid defence, having scored more than once in only one of their last eight games. It has kept the Norwegians with Erling Haaland and the 2024 European Championship semi-finalists Denmark at bay.

That is not at all suited to the Irish, who have scored only three goals in their last five games. They came up empty against, for example, Kazakhstan, who never made it to a major tournament, or Finland. That is not a good sign.

Given the defensive form of the Slovenians, the defensive woes of the Northern Irish and the fact that the visitors don’t have much to play for anymore, I think the favourite can win on home soil.

Betting tip l Slovenia to win at odds of 1.86