• Competition: UEFA Nations League C - Group 3
• Date: Thursday, 5th, September 2024
• Kickoff: 19:45 UK / 20.45 CEST
• Venue: Windsor Park (Belfast)

Northern Ireland and Luxembourg will face off at Windsor Park in Belfast for the opening match of the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League, with both sides eager to secure a winning start on Thursday.

The ones led by Michael O'Neill will aim to present themselves in a much better light this time than they did two years ago when they managed to claim only one win and gathered a scant five points from their six group-stage matches. Fortunately, Northern Ireland kept their place in Group C of this tournament based on a better goal difference over the relegated Cyprus, but as they enter the 2024-25 Nations League campaign as the highest-ranked nation in their section, a return to League B looks achievable.

Their journey begins with a home match against Luxembourg, a nation that narrowly missed promotion to League B in the past two campaigns, finishing three points behind Montenegro in 2020-21 and then falling two points short of Turkey in the last cycle. Currently positioned at 84th in the FIFA rankings, the Red Lions have shown considerable progress in recent years and will be setting their sights on clinching one of the two top spots in Group C3, where they compete against the declining nations of Bulgaria and Belarus.

Northern Ireland vs Luxembourg Betting Tips: X2 (DOUBLE CHANCE)

In a clash between two top contenders for promotion to League B, we foresee a cautious encounter with both sides exercising restraint, ultimately leading to a likely sharing of points. Despite entering as the top-seeded nation in their section, their experience so far in the UEFA Nations League does not bode well, as they have scraped just one victory out of 16 outings on this stage and have been beaten on 11 times. Even though they enjoy the comfort of playing at home, Michael O'Neill's squad has struggled with their finishing touch in front of goal, as they have fired blanks in three of their last five official matches on home soil, which only heightens the sense of insecurity within their ranks. 

With a lack of sharpness in attack, the Green and White Army will struggle to break down the disciplined Luxembourg team, who have recorded commendable results on the road by staying undefeated in eight of their last ten competitive travels. Furthermore, the Red Lions were unbeaten in all three of their away matches during the 2022-23 Nations League cycle, recording shutout victories against Lithuania and the Faroe Islands before impressively holding Turkey to a sensational six-goal draw. In the last two competitive encounters between the nations, Luxembourg claimed four points against Northern Ireland, and we hope that the well-organized Luc Holtz’s team has what it takes to secure at least a point here.