Northern Ireland will host Georgia on Monday in their final match of this international break as they look to remain unbeaten in their UEFA Nations League campaign.
Northern Ireland vs Georgia – Match preview and team news
- Date: Monday, 5th October.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: Clearer Twist National Stadium, Belfast.
Northern Ireland team news
Manager Michael O’Neill’s high-flying young squad continues to impress, even as they cope without the services of established Premier League talents Conor Bradley and defender Daniel Ballard, both of whom remain sidelined with injuries.
Given the fluid and dominant performance displayed on Friday night, O’Neill is highly expected to maintain consistency and stick with a very similar, youth-focused starting lineup.
The tactical layout will likely see Jamie Donley leading the line as the lone striker, with Isaac Price providing creative support from an advanced midfield role.
O’Neill’s faith in the younger generation has rejuvenated the squad, and they will look to exploit their home advantage at Windsor Park to secure another vital three points.
Georgia team news
Georgia arrives in Belfast under considerable pressure, sitting at the bottom of the group and still searching for both their first goal and first victory of this Nations League campaign.
The team is in a period of transition following the dismissal of Willy Sagnol after a 1-0 defeat to Northern Ireland last month, with interim boss Ramaz Svanadze now tasked with steadying the ship.
In terms of squad availability, midfielder Otar Kiteishvili remains out of action. The visitors will rely heavily on their star forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is eager to make amends after missing a crucial penalty in their previous meeting against the Green and White Army.
Svanadze is expected to field an aggressive attacking trio, partnering Kvaratskhelia with Georges Mikautadze and Giorgi Chakvetadze upfront in hopes of finally breaking their goalscoring drought.
Form
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland enters this fixture in superb form, remaining unbeaten at the top of UEFA Nations League Group B2. They kicked off their campaign with a dramatic 1-0 away victory in Georgia, followed by a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Hungary. Michael O’Neill’s side recently reached new heights with an emphatic 3-0 thrashing of Ukraine. Boasting an incredibly resilient defence, they have kept three consecutive clean sheets in the tournament.
Georgia
Georgia, by contrast, is enduring a miserable run of form and sits at the bottom of the group. The Crusaders are still searching for their first win and first goal of the competition. Their campaign opened with a heartbreaking 1-0 home defeat to Northern Ireland and was followed by a 0-0 draw against Ukraine. Most recently, they suffered another setback with a 1-0 loss to Hungary.
Predicted lineups
Northern Ireland: P Charles; Spencer, Atcheson, McConville, Brown, Devlin; Morrison, Hume, S Charles, Price; Donley
Georgia: Mamardashvili; Goglichidze, Dvali, Locoshvili; Kakabadze, Yegoian, Mekvabishvili, Tsitaishvili; Chakvetadze; Mikautadze, Kvaratshkhelia
How to watch Northern Ireland vs Georgia?
You can watch the Northern Ireland vs Georgia match live and for free in the UK through the BBC.
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