Wales face Northern Ireland in an international friendly match on Tuesday at Cardiff City Stadium.
Both teams come to this match after losing in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup play-offs.
Wales vs Northern Ireland – Match preview and team news
- Date: Tuesday, 31st March
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST
- Venue: Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
- Last meeting: Wales 1-0 Northern Ireland, UEFA EURO 2016, 25th June 2016
Wales team news
Manager Craig Bellamy is forced into significant changes following the penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina. The squad is missing several veteran leaders, with Ben Davies, Chris Mepham and Connor Roberts all sidelined through injury, while captain Aaron Ramsey remains absent from the current window.
Further complicating matters, young midfielder Jordan James is unavailable after limping off in the previous match. This injury crisis opens the door for a youthful experimental side in Cardiff.
Sorba Thomas is expected to be handed a starting role after an energetic substitute appearance last week, while uncapped or inexperienced defenders like Ronan Kpakio and Dylan Lawlor are in contention for minutes.
Bellamy is likely to use this fixture to blood the next generation, balancing the experience of Ethan Ampadu with a frontline likely featuring Nathan Broadhead and Liam Cullen.
Northern Ireland team news
Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill is dealing with a depleted squad after four key players — Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Paddy McNair, Ruairi McConville, and Ali McCann — returned to their respective clubs following the defeat to Italy.
With Conor Bradley, Daniel Ballard and Jamal Lewis also unavailable, the visitors will field a highly experimental XI. The spotlight is firmly on 19-year-old Liverpool prospect Kieran Morrison, who is tipped to earn his first senior cap in a midfield anchored by Shea Charles.
Pierce Charles is expected to retain his spot in goal, while Trai Hume and Brodie Spencer will provide much-needed energy on the flanks. Up front, O’Neill may look to Dion Charles and Callum Marshall to provide a clinical edge. This match represents a major opportunity for the Green and White Army’s younger cohort to stake their claim for future qualifying campaigns.
Form
Wales
Wales come to this match after their disappointing defeat against Bosnia on penalties which eventually knocked them out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Before the loss against Bosnia, they won back-to-back matches in the qualifying round and only lost to Belgium in the group stage, remaining undefeated against other teams in the group.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland arrive in Cardiff after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Italy, which ended their World Cup qualifying hopes. While Michael O’Neill’s side had shown defensive resilience in previous windows, they have now lost four of their last six internationals.
Predicted lineups
Wales: Ward; Kpakio, Cabango, Lawlor, Dasilva; Ampadu, Sheehan; Broadhead, Cullen, Thomas; Harris
Northern Ireland: P. Charles; Hume, McConville, Toal; Smyth, Saville, McDonnell, S. Charles, Devenny; Marshall, D. Charles
How to watch Wales vs Northern Ireland?
You can watch Wales vs Northern Ireland live on free-to-air TV in the UK on BBC One Wales, BBC Three and BBC Two Northern Ireland.
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