Slovenia vs Northern Ireland Match Analysis & Prediction
07/09/2023 9:45 pm
Northern Ireland will be looking to end a three-game losing streak when they face Slovenia at Stozice Stadium in Euro 2024 qualifying on Thursday night.
Trailing the Slovenians by four points, Northern Ireland find themselves second from bottom in Group H after winning just one of their four matches.
Slovenia enjoyed an ideal start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, securing succesive victories over Kazakhstan and San Marino, but Matjaz Kek’s side have managed to take just one point from a possible six since then.
Following a 2-0 defeat to Finland back in June, Slovenia played out a 1-1 draw with Denmark in their subsequent match, despite registering two attempts on target while seeing just 37% of the ball on home soil.
As a result, Kek’s side find themselves fourth in Group H, level on points with third-placed Denmark and two points behind Finland and Kazakhstan, who have both won three of their four qualifiers.
Slovenia have only made one European Championship appearance over the years, featuring at Euro 2000 in the Netherlands and Belgium, with the former Yugoslav nation failing to qualify for each of the previous five editions of the competition.
That said, Slovenia have suffered a single defeat in their last 10 matches across all competitions, picking up five wins and four draws in the process, so they will back themselves to reach next summer’s tournament in Germany.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland began their qualifying campaign with a routine 2-0 victory over San Marino, through a brace from Bolton Wanderers forward Dion Charles, but it has been all downhill since then.
The Green and White Army head into their fifth qualifier on the back of three successive 1-0 defeats, having lost to Finland, Denmark and Kazakhstan without scoring a single goal.
As a result, Michael O’Neill’s side sit second from bottom in Group H after four matches, meaning that Northern Ireland already trail the joint leaders – Finland and Kazakhstan – by six points.
Not only have Northern Ireland lost each of their last three matches, but they have also lost seven of their previous 11, so they will need to turn things around quickly if they want to reach their second European Championship.
Slovenia vs. Northern Ireland Head to head
In the five previous meetings between these two teams, Slovenia have claimed one victory while Northern Ireland have won three, and they have drawn once.
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11/10/2008Slovenia2Northern Ireland0UEFA World Cup Qualifiers
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01/04/2009Northern Ireland1Slovenia0UEFA World Cup Qualifiers
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03/09/2010Slovenia0Northern Ireland1Euros Qualifiers
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29/03/2011Northern Ireland0Slovenia0Euros Qualifiers
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28/03/2016Northern Ireland1Slovenia0Friendlies
Slovenia Team News
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak will start in goal for Slovenia on Thursday, while RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko will aim to enhance his tally of six goals in 21 international appearances.
Kek has also called up uncapped forward Aljosa Matko for the upcoming qualifiers, while 23-year-old defender Vanja Drkusic will be hoping to earn his second cap for his country.
Slovenia's Last 5 Matches
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20/11/2022Slovenia1Montenegro0Friendlies
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23/03/2023Kazakhstan1Slovenia2Euros Qualifiers
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26/03/2023Slovenia2San Marino0Euros Qualifiers
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16/06/2023Finland2Slovenia0Euros Qualifiers
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19/06/2023Slovenia1Denmark1Euros Qualifiers
Northern Ireland Team News
Fresh from making his Manchester United comeback, Jonny Evans is set to pick up his 102nd cap for Northern Ireland, with Paddy McNair expected to join him in the backline.
Shea Charles has been recalled following his move from Manchester City to Southampton, with Championship regulars like Daniel Ballard, Trai Hume, George Saville and Jordan Thompson also making the cut.
Northern Ireland's Last 5 Matches
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27/09/2022Greece3Northern Ireland1UEFA Nations League
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23/03/2023San Marino0Northern Ireland2Euros Qualifiers
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26/03/2023Northern Ireland0Finland1Euros Qualifiers
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16/06/2023Denmark1Northern Ireland0Euros Qualifiers
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19/06/2023Northern Ireland0Kazakhstan1Euros Qualifiers
Slovenia vs. Northern Ireland: Odds and Predictions
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