Michael O’Neill’s side know that they will need to take full points from their opening qualifiers if they are to reach Euro 2020
Northern Ireland will be desperate for a further three points against Belarus to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for next year’s Euro 2020 tournament.
Michael O’Neill’s side started their qualifying campaign in victorious style with a 2-0 win over Estonia in the week, courtesy of goals from Niall McGinn and Steven Davis.
They will need more of the same against Belarus on Sunday night as they look to claim six points from their first two games, putting themselves in a good position heading into the rest of the qualification process.
They are in a tough group with Germany and Netherlands, so every point is vital in their bid to secure an appearance at next year’s tournament.
| Game | Northern Ireland vs Belarus |
| Date | Sunday, March 24 |
| Time | 7:45pm GMT / 3:45pm ET |
| Stream (US only) | Univision Deportes En Vivo |
In the United States (US), the game will be broadcast on Univision Deportes En Vivo and can be livestreamed on the ESPN3 platform.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Univision Deportes En Vivo | ESPN3 |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be shown on television on Sky Sports Football and it will be available to stream live online using Sky Go.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Football | Sky Go Extra |
| Position | Northern Ireland squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | McGovern, Peacock-Farrell, Hazard |
| Defenders | Hughes, McAuley, Jonny Evans, Cathcart, McLaughlin, McNair, Lewis, Flanagan, Ballard |
| Midfielders | Davis, McGinn, Corry Evans, Ferguson, Dallas, Saville, Jones, Whyte, Thompson |
| Forwards | Lafferty, Magennis, Washington, Boyce, Grigg, Smyth |
Gareth McAuley has returned to training following a recent hamstring issue which ruled him out of Thursday’s 2-0 victory over Estonia.
However, he’s unlikely to dislodge Jonny Evans and Craig Cathcart following on from their clean-sheet performance last time out.
Elsewhere, Corry Evans and Gavin Whyte have been ruled out again with neither of them overcoming their injury issues of late.
Potential Northern Ireland starting XI: Peacock-Farrell; Lewis, J Evans, Cathcart, Dallas; Saville, Davis, McNair; Jones, Lafferty, McGinn.
| Position | Belarus squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Harbunow, Klimovich, Chichkan |
| Defenders | Martynovich, Shitov, Palyakow, Valadzko, Sivakov, Volkov |
| Midfielders | Hleb, Kislyak, Drahun, Putsila, Stasevich, Nyakhaychyk, Mayewski, Savitski, Rios, Kavalyow, Kendysh |
| Forwards | Laptsew, Saroka, Signevich |
Experienced centre-back Alyaksandr Martynovich will marshall the back four, while former Arsenal and Barcelona player Alexander Hleb is likely to start on the bench.
Elsewhere, Stanislaw Drahun will start in the middle of the park, recently known for scoring BATE Borisov’s winning goal over Arsenal in the Europa League.
Potential Belarus starting XI: Gorbunov; Palakow, Sivakov, Martynovich, Shitov; Stasevich, Drahun, Putsila, Mayewski, Kavalyow; Signevich.
Northern Ireland are favourites to win at 3/4 with bet365. Belarus start at 5/1 to prevail while a draw is priced 5/2.
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Anything less than three points against Belarus will put a massive dent in Northern Ireland’s already slim hopes of qualifying for the European Championship next year.
They are in a group with 2010 World Cup finalist Netherlands and 2014 champions Germany, so maximum points against sides like Belarus are essential.
O’Neill’s men claimed a crucial victory against Estonia on Thursday night, and they will be hoping they can repeat they feat against Belarus.
However, the team’s manager is wary that they will face a stiffer test on Sunday.
“I think Belarus will pose a greater counter-attacking threat than Estonia and that’s something we have to be wary of,” said O’Neill.
“The way we played on Thursday night, we had a lot of possession, and that will be the objective again. Overall it was a good performance – we showed patience when it was needed and we want to build on that.
“We take a lot of confidence from that game as our general play was of a high standard. We just need better quality in the final third and a better final ball.”
Belarus, meanwhile, will be hoping for the first victory of their qualifying campaign when they travel to Windsor Park.
They suffered a 4-0 defeat to the Netherlands during the week and will be desperate to bounce back straight away with a result against Northern Ireland.
Despite losing to the Dutch n Rotterdam, Igor Kriushenko’s side did generate eight shots at goal, proving they do pose a genuine attacking threat.
And while Belarus go into the upcoming clash as underdogs, they will view this fixture as one of the more winnable ones as they look to qualify for their first ever European Championship.
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