Northern Ireland Women vs Republic of Ireland Women Preview
It’s the last week of the UEFA Women’s Nations League and we have an intense derby to contend with. Northern Ireland Women host the Republic of Ireland in what could prove to be the most important game of the entire group stage. The Republic of Ireland has the top spot secured no matter what, but Northern Ireland has it all to play for.
The last game in Group One of League B takes place on Tuesday, December 5, at 6:00 PM. Northern Ireland Women play out of Windsor Park, a historic soccer venue with a capacity of 18,500. This match is crucial for Northern Ireland after their emphatic 0-4 win over Albania. As it stands, a point against the Republic of Ireland could be enough to secure second place in the division. However, the Girls in Green would take joy in sending their rivals into a relegation playoff game instead of helping them achieve promotion.
Northern Ireland Women vs Republic of Ireland Women Head-To-Head and Key Stats
While these two countries have been famous rivals for quite some time, in women’s soccer, they have only faced off four times in the last ten years. In every meeting, it’s the Republic of Ireland that has come out on top. Northern Ireland has only scored one goal across all four games, and that was in the Cyprus Women’s Cup back in 2013.
The sides met in the first round of the Nations League in September 2023. The Republic of Ireland was the worthy winner that day, defeating the visitors 3-0. In the first 20 minutes, both sides looked nervous and there was a real lack of quality. However, the game changed after successive Ireland corners led to the first goal of the match. Lucy Quinn thumped the ball goalwards from the edge of the box after a poor clearance. Northern Ireland was lucky to only be one down after two clearances off the line inside 50 minutes.
But Northern Ireland’s fortune ran out after a defensive howler. Rebecca Holloway was the last defender back chasing a hopeful ball over the top when she had a mix-up with goalie Shannon Turner. Turner comes out almost as far as the halfway line, but Holloway’s attempted clearance works favourably for Carusa. She fires into an empty net around 30 yards out. More poor defending cost Northern Ireland in the 85th minute as Lily Agg heads home from inside the six-yard box.
There is an undoubted gap in quality when you compare the two sides. Looking at the UEFA Women’s Nation League table, The Republic of Ireland sit top after four matches with an undefeated record. They have conceded one goal all tournament and have outplayed every team in the division so far. Northern Ireland is second in the table with five games played. Before the triumphant display in Albania, they narrowly lost to Hungary 3-2 at the end of October. In the home leg, Northern Ireland rescued a point to keep their dream of a promotion playoff alive.
The matches on Friday have increased the importance of this derby game. The Hungarians came away empty-handed from the game against the Republic of Ireland. That leaves a two-point gap between second and third in the division. Northern Ireland also has a far superior goal difference over Hungary, something that may settle things if NI gets a draw tomorrow and Hungary beats Albania.
In the Nations League format, they automatically promote first to League A. Second place in this division takes on a third from the league above in a playoff game where the winner takes all. Fourth in League B faces automatic relegation and third will have to play a team from League C to continue in this division when the tournament takes place again in around two years.
Northern Ireland Women vs Republic of Ireland Women Predictions
We predict the Republic of Ireland Women will come out on top next Tuesday. They look the far better side throughout the soccer tournament so far. The only aspect to watch out for is whether the head coach will take the game seriously. For the match on Friday against Hungary, manager Eileen Gleeson announced several inexperienced players as part of the 26-player squad. She could have an eye for resting some of her best players and getting some fresh blood out on the pitch.
Even if that is the case, online betting on the Republic of Ireland to win still seems like the best option. Northern Ireland must beat a side who they have only found the back of the net once in four meetings. Anything can happen in soccer, but it would be a monumental upset for Northern Ireland to win against their neighbours.
Looking at the group table, the Republic of Ireland has scored 14 goals and only conceded one in a 5-1 smashing of Albania. However, in the Albania rematch, they were the narrow victors at 0-1. Whether the Republic of Ireland plays a full-strength side or not, they are no longer playing for anything in this group. Whereas, Northern Ireland has it all to lose and could find themselves in the division below next year.
If you are waiting until game day to place a bet, we think there are several live wagers to look out for. One is yellow cards, especially as this is a do-or-die attempt for NI. They will try to make life difficult for the visitors, including cynical fouls and even time wasting if the result is on a knife edge. It would not surprise us if the game on Tuesday is a scruffy contest settled by one or two chances.
If you are going to sign up for sports betting, your best bet would be to use a welcome bonus bonus on the away side. The odds for the Republic of Ireland to win away are low, meaning you would get small returns. Instead, you can look at predicting the winning margin or the exact score at full time. We see this game going one of two ways: either Northern Ireland will score one goal, or they won’t. That means you are looking at two or three for the visitors.
Northern Ireland Women vs Republic of Ireland Women Betting Tips
Betting on this soccer tournament has been straightforward so far. There have been very few upsets in this group, which means betting on the favourite has been a winning move in almost every match day. Why would this change? Yes, Northern Ireland needs a result, but if you watch the highlights from the last meeting, they hardly troubled the opposition at all. It was an extremely one-sided match, and the home side will need a miracle to secure second place in this group.
That does not mean it’s not worth betting on an upset. Instead, you should only bet a small amount. The odds of Northern Ireland doing the unthinkable are impressive, resulting in large returns even from small wagers. Do not get carried away by this pipe dream, as we believe they will probably lose after 90 minutes either 0-2 or 1-2.
Watch Republic of Ireland v Hungary in the @WEURO on Friday from 7pm on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer – follow a live blog on https://t.co/G8AkhvNaXO and the RTÉ News app and listen to live commentary on @GameOn2FM @FAIWomen #COYGIG pic.twitter.com/ModiYqJACd
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) November 28, 2023
If you were betting on the UEFA Nations League for the first time, this game is the final one in the group stage. The best teams from League A play in a mini-knockout tournament. Everyone else gets to fight out promotion or relegation matches. That means it’s not your last chance to bet on the competition. Usually, the knockout rounds are far more exciting compared to group games.
The obvious wagers for this soccer match are not especially rewarding. That means you will have to get creative with your bets to increase your returns. If betting on the Republic of Ireland to win is not giving you much profit. Look at halftime markets, handicap wagers, or even live bets to get better odds at the bookies.
Northern Ireland Women Lineup
Unfortunately, Northern Ireland will have to get a result without record goal scorer Rachel Furness who picked up a hamstring injury. The 35-year-old is still part of the squad but is now in a coaching role ahead of the games against Albania and the Republic of Ireland. Boss Tanya Oxtoby called up Rachel McLaren to the squad, following Kelsie Burrows having to withdraw from the international side. Other fresh faces include Keri Halliday and Maddy Harvey-Clifford.
- Predicted Lineup Northern Ireland: S. Turner, C. Hamilton, N. Caldwell, S. McFadden, L Rafferty, D. Vance, D. Maxwell, C. McCarron, M. Bell, L. Wade, and S. Magill.
Republic of Ireland Women Lineup
Ireland Women’s head coach Eileen Gleeson announced her squad for the upcoming Nations League matches on November 23. The squad saw two fresh faces, 17-year-old Ellen Dolan and Freya Healy. Dolan gets the call-up after a fantastic season for Peamount United and Healy steps up to replace Emily Whelan. Gleeson also recalled Ruesha Littlejohn and Jessie Stapleton ahead of the clash with Hungary and Northern Ireland.
- Predicted Lineup Republic of Ireland: C. Brosnan, L. Quinn, C. Hayes, D. Caldwell, T. Toland, K. McCabe, S. Farrelly, D. O’Sullivan, M. Connolly, A. Larkin, and K. Carusa.
