Northern Ireland vs Andorra predictions: No end in sight for Andorra's sorry run

Steve Davies
Spotlight
  
Michael O'Neill will expect to see his Northern Ireland side get the better of Andorra.
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- Northern Ireland's 5-1 drubbing by Spain ended a three-game unbeaten run
- Andorra are without a win in their last 15 internationals
- Recommended bet:
Northern Ireland 2-0 correct score

Northern Ireland and Andorra, both played off the park by Spain last week, will be hoping they can sign off their seasons with a win when they meet at the Estadio Nueva Condomina in Murcia.

Andorra come into the game on the back of 5-0 hammering by La Roja three days before Michael O'Neill's side lost 5-1 to the same Euro 2024-bound opponents.

Team news

O'Neill will make plenty of changes to his team though he may stick with his 5-4-1 set-up, even against lesser opponents.

Publicidad

The likes of Nottingham Forest defender Aaron Donnelly, QPR midfielder Paul Smyth and veteran frontman Josh Magennis can expect starts.

Koldo Alvarez is also likely to set up his Andorra side in a 5-4-1 formation, with veteran captain Marc Vales poised to win his 95th cap from the start after coming off the bench against Spain.

Josh Magennis is expected to start for Northern Ireland in Murcia.

The stats

Northern Ireland have scored the first goal in each of their last four fixtures.

Since a 2-0 win at Liechtenstein in October 2022, Andorra have played 15 internationals and not won any, losing 12.

Publicidad

They have been beaten to nil in seven of their last eight internationals and have scored only one goal in their last nine.

Romania and Spain are the only teams to have scored more than three goals against Andorra in their last 24 internationals.

Prediction

The goals flowed as Andorra and Northern Ireland were taught lessons by Spain last week, but there should be far fewer when La Roja's victims meet in Murcia.

Andorra were only 1-0 down to Spain with 53 minutes gone, but eventually lost 5-0, while Northern Ireland paid for their temerity in taking a lead against the Spaniards by losing 5-1.

Those goal tallies might not be unusual for Spain, but they are for Andorra and Northern Ireland.

Andorra's four previous games produced just six goals and you have to go back to the end of 2022 for the last time they were involved in a game featuring more than four goals. They remain very limited, but they are proving more and more obdurate as they gain international experience.

They have not won in 15 internationals, however and may well have to give second best to Northern Ireland in a low-scorer.

O'Neill's challengers were on a good run featuring wins over Denmark and Scotland and a draw with Romania prior to losing to Spain in Palma.

Those results look impressive as they lick their wounds from a terrible European Championship qualifying campaign in which they finished a remote fifth in a group of six, scoring only nine goals in 10 matches. On the plus side, they only conceded 13.

Northern Ireland are ranked 91 places higher than Andorra and can justify that gulf by easing to a routine win to nil.

Publicidad

Expect a low-scorer so look at something like 2-0 in correct-score betting.

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Tags

Northern IrelandAndorraInternational Friendlies

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