Northern Ireland vs Georgia - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to proceed their awesome commencement in UEFA Nations League Group B2, Northern Ireland volition invited Georgia to Windsor Park connected Monday.

The Green and White Army could marque it 3 wins from 4 games, portion the Crusaders volition beryllium hopeless to debar different defeat.

Match preview

Michael O'Neil's Northern Ireland person enjoyed an fantabulous run successful Nations League B truthful far, going unbeaten passim the planetary break.

The Norn Iron arrived for the contention with conscionable 2 victories from 7 outings, but they kicked disconnected with a 1-0 triumph implicit Georgia connected September 25.

O'Neil's men followed up by holding Hungary to a 0-0 stalemate 3 days later, earlier thoroughly beating Ukraine 3-0 connected Friday.

That latest occurrence has Northern Ireland sat astatine the apical of Group B2 with 7 points, and promotion to League A is wrong show for the astonishment leaders.

In beardown form, Monday's hosts volition beryllium assured going into their showdown astatine Windsor Park, bolstered further by the information they person lone tasted decision erstwhile connected location turf since October 2023, drafting twice, winning 9 times, and keeping 10 cleanable sheets successful the process.

Georgia person endured a contrastingly mediocre autumn planetary break, which began with the sacking of erstwhile manager Willy Sagnol aft their nonaccomplishment to Northern Ireland connected matchday one.

The Crusaders swiftly appointed Ramaz Svanadze successful his place, the 45-year-old caput manager that was successful complaint of the nation's Under-21s for the past 5 years.

Sagnol had been successful the dugout since 2021 and helped Georgia suffice for their archetypal large tourney - Euro 2024 - wherever they were beaten successful the circular of 16 by eventual winners Spain.

However, the Frenchman missed retired connected World Cup 2026 aft losing 5 of his six qualifying games, and making a disappointing commencement to the Nations League was the past straw for his tenure.

Svanadze's reign began with a 0-0 gully against Ukraine connected September 28, but the constituent the brag earned that time remains Georgia's lone 1 aft they were downed 1-0 by Hungary connected Friday.

Monday's visitors are successful request of a reprieve, but they are improbable to find 1 connected the roadworthy aft losing 4 of their past 5 distant clashes, not to notation the Crusaders are yet to people successful Group B2.

Northern Ireland Nations League form:

Georgia Nations League form:

Team News

Northern Ireland volition beryllium without Sunderland centre-back Dan Ballard, aft helium suffered a hamstring during the triumph implicit Georgia past month.

In his absence, O'Neil could sanction a three-man defence featuring Tom Atcheson, Ruairi McConville and Ciaron Brown, flanked by wing-backs Brodie Spencer and Terry Devlin.

Elsewhere, Luton striker Jamie Donley looks acceptable to pb the enactment erstwhile again, supplied by Isaac Price and 19-year-old Kieran Morrison, who is connected indebtedness astatine Sheffield Wednesday from Liverpool.

As for Georgia, they are missing Sturm Graz midfielder Otar Kiteishvili, though Anzor Mekvabishvili should beryllium connected manus to join Irakli Yegoian successful the centre of the park.

Giorgi Chakvetadze is apt to proceed successful a fig 10 relation conscionable successful beforehand of the duo, supporting Paris Saint-Germain prima Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Villarreal's Georges Mikautadze up top.

Northern Ireland imaginable starting lineup:

P Charles; Spencer, Atcheson, McConville, Brown, Devlin; Morrison, Hume, S Charles, Price; Donley

Georgia imaginable starting lineup:

Mamardashvili; Goglichidze, Dvali, Locoshvili; Kakabadze, Yegoian, Mekvabishvili, Tsitaishvili; Chakvetadze; Mikautadze, Kvaratshkhelia

We say: Northern Ireland 2-0 Georgia

Northern Ireland person been highly resilient erstwhile playing arsenic the hosts, keeping 10 cleanable sheets from their past 12 location games.

By contrast, Georgia person yet to people successful the existent iteration of the Nations League, and it would beryllium astonishing to spot thing different than a triumph for the Green and White Army connected Monday.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.