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Here are the Northern Ireland vs Slovenia predicted lineups ahead of their Euro 2024 qualifier.
Slovenia will be the visitors to Windsor Park as they gear up to face Northern Ireland in the European qualifiers on Tuesday night in Belfast.
Slovenia enters the game knowing that no matter the result, they cannot qualify for Euro 2024 in Germany, but they can set up a winner-take-all fixture with Denmark next month should they secure the victory in Belfast.
Northern Ireland stopped their poor run in qualifying by beating the worst-ranked nation in the world on Saturday. San Marino were no test for Northern Ireland as they ended their five-game run of defeats.
Northern Ireland vs Slovenia Predicted Lineups and News
Contents
The Northern Irish will be desperate to ensure that the victory over San Marino was the turning of a corner as they look to achieve back-to-back wins for the first time since September 2021 as Michael O’Neill attempts to keep the hopes of qualification alive with a play-off.
Slovenia are in a fantastic position to qualify for their first European Championship since 2000 after their victory against Finland. Slovenia are currently on a three-game winning run in the qualifiers as they travel to Belfast. Their confidence is sure to be high leading up to kick
off, particularly if things play out similarly to the last fixture in Ljubljana, when Slovenia won 4-2.
Team news: Northern Ireland
Paddy McNair will be frustrated to have needlessly picked up his third booking of qualifying so late in Northern Ireland’s victory over San Marino, ruling the Middlesbrough defender out of the game against the Slovenians through suspension.
Jonny Evans is likely to start at centre half with Dan Ballard, with the Manchester United player looking for a less eventful game against Slovenia following his goals for both sides in Ljubljana.
McNair will likely be replaced by either George Saville or Isaac Price.
Preston North End’s Ali McCann pulled out of the squad before Saturday’s victory due to injury, but O’Neill has no fresh concerns and should promote Bailey Peacock-Farrell back into the starting line-up over Conor Hazard, after he won his fifth cap on Saturday.
Northern Ireland’s Predicted Lineup:
Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Trai Hume, Jonny Evans, Dan Ballard, Jamal Lewis, Shea Charles, George Saville, Jordan Thompson, Paul Smyth, Dale Taylor, and Josh Magennis
Team news: Slovenia
Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko initially continued against Finalnd after sustaining a head wound in the first half, but he would be withdrawn on the hour mark, raising a few questions about his availability for this encounter.
Bordeaux’s Zan Vipotnik is on standby should Sesko not earn the green light to partner 10-goal man Andraz Sporar in attack.
Jasmin Kurtic won his 86th Slovenia cap off the bench on Saturday and is 16 away from becoming his nation’s record appearance-maker, but he will likely start on the bench once again on Tuesday.
Slovenia’s Predicted Lineup:
Jan Oblak, Žan Karničnik, Jaka Bijol, Miha Blažič, Erik Janža, Jan Mlakar, Timi Max Elšnik, Adam Gnezda Čerin, Petar Stojanović, Andraž Šporar, Žan Vipotnik
Will Josh Magennis become Northern Ireland’s 10th highest goal scorer?
The Wigan striker currently has 10 goals for the Green and White Army, but should he score his 11th goal, he would join Olphie Stanfield in the standings. The 33-year-old is currently 26 goals behind record scorer David Healy, with Magennis unlikely to surpass this figure; however, he may believe it is possible to better the figure of 13, the figure of the third highest goal scorers for the nation.
How to watch
You can watch Northern Ireland vs. Slovenia on Viaplay 1 in the UK, streaming the game at 7:45 p.m. BST.
Featured image: Sport images supported by Wikimedia Österreich, author Tadeáš Bednarz
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