ENGLAND and Northern Ireland clash in Friday’s EURO Under-21 Championship Qualifier in Ballymena.
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Northern Ireland U21 vs England U21 preview
European Under-21 Championship qualification continues this week as Northern Ireland host England in Ballymena on Friday.
There’s no Lee Carsley at the helm for obvious reasons, but that doesn’t have seem to have affected the odds much with England heavy odds-on favourites at 2/13 to clinch maximum points.
The Young Lions will be led by interim head coach Ben Futcher, who has vowed to “continue” their work and not try to “reinvent things” ahead of the encounter.
And that’s a good thing for the Young Lions seeing as they sit second in group F behind 100% Ukraine.
England have won six of their seven matches, scoring a colossal 32 goals and conceding just five to give them a +27 goal difference — easily the highest of the 52 nations in qualifying.
There are a few new faces in the squad including Brighton defender Jack Hinshelwood and Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson.
Whilst the likes of Jarell Quansah and Morgan Rogers should all start and will have fond memories of this clash having won the reverse fixture 3-0 at Goodison Park in November 2023.
However, Ipswich Town attacker Omari Hutchinson, Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott, Jaden Philogene of Aston Villa and Adam Wharton will play no part in the upcoming fixtures due to injury concerns.
As for the hosts, they’ve won two of their six qualification matches and sit in fourth position ahead of Luxembourg and Azerbaijan.
What are the odds for Northern Ireland U21 vs England U21?
- Northern Ireland U21 10/1 with William Hill – CLAIM HERE
Odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.
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Northern Ireland U21 vs England U21 betting tips and predictions
Win and goals
Clearly England should collect maximum points on their visit to Ballymena. The Young Lions rarely fail to find the net having scored 12 in their last two outings against Luxembourg and Azerbaijan.
- England to win and 4 or more goals scored in the match at 13/8 with William Hill – CLAIM HERE
Dominant
Northern Ireland aren’t exactly filled with goals. They’ve blanked in three of their last six, and failed to score in the reverse fixture back at Goodison Park. England won both halves that day, and we expect the same this time.
- England to win both halves at 5/4 with William Hill – CLAIM HERE
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