Northern Ireland vs Kazakhstan tips: Qualifying dark horses can pull off Windsor Park raid
- Planet Sport writer
- 18 June 2023
In the most competitive Euro 2024 qualifying group, Kazakhstan will be looking for their third straight win when they take on Northern Ireland.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
Euro 2024 qualifiers, Monday June 19, Kick-off 7:45pm, live on Viaplay
Predicted score
Northern Ireland 1-2 Kazakhstan
Suggested bets
Kazakhstan to win
Both teams to score
Kazakhstan to score last
Key stats
Kazakhstan haven't won three matches in a row since March 2000
Northern Ireland have won just one of their last four matches
Kazakhstan are looking to win a third straight match while scoring 3 or more goals for the first time ever
Northern Ireland haven't scored a goal in 215 minutes of football
Team news
Northern Ireland are not only out-of-form but they're also out of luck in the injury department.
Michael O'Neill is without Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans, Josh Magennis and Conor Washington.
Dion Charles and Craig Cathcart could both start.
As for the visitors, Abat Aymbetov is available for selection after returning from a one-match suspension.
Verdict
Forget the Borat jokes, Kazakhstan are making serious waves on the international football scene.
In arguably the tightest qualifying group of the campaign, the Kazakhs have thrust themselves into Euro 2024 contention after picking up back-to-back victories.
A shock win away in Denmark followed by a solid 3-0 success against San Marino leaves the former Soviet nation third in the group and level on points with first-placed Danes.
Kazakhstan are targeting a third straight victory for the first time since March 2000, and they are certainly capable of getting the job done at Windsor Park.
Northern Ireland are not only struggling for results, but they're also battling with a long injury list.
The Green and White Army have won just two of their last 10 outings - beating San Marino and Kosovo.
O'Neill's men are without a goal in 215 minutes of football and their qualifying campaign could be written off should they fail to find a way past Kazakhstan on Monday.
The visitors, despite their impressive start to the group, have been handed long odds by most bookmakers.
With that in mind, our recommendation is to take on the bookies and back Kazakhstan to make history by picking up their first win over Northern Ireland.
