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Ukraine and Northern Ireland will meet on Friday evening in the third of four matches being played during this international break, with both sides still unbeaten in the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League.
Andrea Maldera's side opened their campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Hungary despite being reduced to 10 men before drawing 0-0 with Georgia, while Northern Ireland have made an almost identical start, beating Georgia 1-0 in Tbilisi before playing out a goalless draw with Hungary on Monday night.
Despite Ukraine being the designated home side for this third Nations League fixture, the match will be played at the Anton Malatinsky Stadium in Trnava, Slovakia, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine forcing them to play their home matches away from their homeland.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Ukraine vs. Northern Ireland key stats
- Ukraine and Northern Ireland have identical records after two Nations League matches, with four points, one goal scored and no goals conceded apiece.
- This will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides in more than 10 years.
- Despite sitting top of the group, Ukraine have registered just five shots on target across their opening two matches.
- Northern Ireland have kept eight clean sheets in their last 10 home matches.
Ukraine vs. Northern Ireland preview: Can Maldera's side extend their unbeaten run?
Ukraine vs Northern Ireland — Tale of the Tape
| Ukraine | vs | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Position (Nations League) | 2nd |
| 4 | Points | 4 |
| 1 | Goals For | 1 |
| 0 | Goals Against | 0 |
| 2 | Clean Sheets | 2 |
| 3rd / 1st | Home / Away Rank | 1st / 2nd |
Ukraine have responded positively to their disappointment at missing out on the 2026 World Cup, following a playoff semi-final defeat to Sweden, and head into Friday night's contest on a four-game unbeaten run.
Serhiy Rebrov stepped down as Ukraine manager after failing to guide his national side to North America this summer, with Andrea Maldera, a former assistant to Roberto De Zerbi, taking over in May.
Maldera has so far overseen three games as Ukraine head coach, overseeing a 2-0 win in a friendly over Poland before starting the Nations League campaign with a 1-0 win and a goalless draw against Hungary and Georgia respectively.
Maldera has overseen three matches since his appointment, beginning with a 2-0 friendly victory over Poland before starting the Nations League campaign with a 1-0 win over Hungary and a goalless draw against Georgia.
The new manager has guided Ukraine to the top of League B, Group 2 after two matches and remains unbeaten in all competitions. His side are also yet to concede under his stewardship, representing a significant defensive improvement after Ukraine kept just two clean sheets in their previous 15 matches.
While Ukraine have looked strong defensively and sit top of the group, they have scored just once and registered only five shots on target across their opening 180 minutes, leaving Maldera keen to see an improvement in their attacking output.
As for the visitors, Michael O'Neill's Northern Ireland make the journey of almost 1,500 miles from Belfast to Trnava with an almost identical record to their upcoming opponents after the opening two Nations League fixtures.
The Green and White Army began their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Georgia before playing out a goalless draw with Hungary at Windsor Park on Monday, leaving them level with Ukraine on four points and with the same goal difference.
O'Neill's side also struggled to create clear-cut opportunities in their latest outing, registering just three shots on target at Windsor Park.
However, they restricted Hungary to just one effort on target and maintained an impressive home clean-sheet record, with the draw now their eighth clean sheet in their last 10 matches on home soil.
Northern Ireland now head away from home for the third game of their four-match international schedule knowing that victory could take them top of the group, having never won at this level of the Nations League before last week's victory.
Ukraine vs. Northern Ireland form guide & betting tips
| Ukraine | vs | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
WD | Form | WD |
| 4 | Points | 4 |
| 1st | Form Table | 2nd |
| 1 | Goals For | 1 |
| 0 | Goals Against | 0 |
LWWWD | Form (All Comps) | DWLWD |
Whispers predicts: Ukraine 1-1 Northern Ireland
With both sides boasting identical records after their opening two Nations League matches, we expect another closely contested encounter in Slovakia.
A draw is currently priced at 23/10, while our exact scoreline prediction of 1-1 is available at 11/2.
Given that both teams have scored just once across their first two matches, we expect another low-scoring contest similar to their opening fixtures. Under 2.5 goals is currently priced at 4/7, while Both Teams to Score is available at 11/10.
> Draw at 23/10 | Likelihood: Probable
> Both Teams to Score at 11/10 | Likelihood: Probable
> Under 2.5 goals at 4/7 | Likelihood: Probable
> Correct score of 1-1 at 11/2 | Likelihood: Slight outsider