Northern Ireland vs Ukraine: Prediction, Tips and Odds | Nations League

Northern Ireland can secure a top-two finish in Nations League B Group 2 on Saturday, when they host Ukraine at Windsor Park, kicking off at 7:45pm. Michael O'Neill's side lead the group on eight points, where the winners are promoted to League A and the runners-up enter a promotion play-off.

Ukraine arrive after two straight defeats, including a defeat by Northern Ireland in Trnava on October 2, having struggled for goals under Andrea Maldera.

Northern Ireland vs Ukraine preview and form guide

Northern Ireland lead Group B2 on eight points, and four clean sheets from four games mean O'Neill's side are yet to concede a goal in the competition.

The problem is at the other end, where his team failed to score in goalless home draws with Hungary and Georgia.

Isaac Price saw an 84th-minute penalty saved in the second of those draws on October 5, a frustration that has the hosts waiting for their first strike on their own turf this campaign.

The 3-0 win in Trnava on October 2 showed the threat O'Neill's side can pose, even if they benefited from some questionable defending, with Ciaron Brown scoring twice and Price adding another.

That lineup was the youngest Northern Ireland starting XI of the post-war era, with an average age of 22, and Kieran Morrison, 20 and on loan at Sheffield Wednesday from Liverpool, set up two of the goals in his first competitive international, with the corner that led to Brown's opener and the ball that Price converted.

Georgia host Hungary at 5pm on Saturday, so Northern Ireland will know that result before kick-off, looking ahead to their trip to Budapest for their final group game on Tuesday.

O'Neill has described the chance of reaching League A as a “massive carrot” for his players, and anyone wanting to back the hosts can see our ranking of the best UK football betting sites.

Ukraine arrive with Maldera at the helm, appointed on May 18 as the first foreign head coach in the national team's history, and he is taking his first head-coach job after years as an assistant, including a spell on Ukraine's own staff under Andriy Shevchenko.

The Blue and Yellow's campaign began with a 1-0 win in Hungary and a goalless draw in Georgia, but the defeat against Northern Ireland in Trnava was followed by a 2-1 home loss to the Magyars, when Roman Yaremchuk's 83rd-minute equaliser was answered by Mark Csinger's winner within two minutes.

Goals have been the main issue for Ukraine, with only two scored in their four group games, though Maldera said before the campaign that his aim is to form a team that will play well over time.

The core of the squad is experienced, featuring Benfica pair Anatoliy Trubin and Heorhiy Sudakov and PSG defender Illia Zabarnyi, while the veteran Andriy Yarmolenko has been left out because Maldera says he “needs to pass the baton to others.”

Ukraine will finish the group at home to Georgia in Kosice on Tuesday, though this weekend's clash is set to decide what they are playing for early next week.

Ukraine are third in the group but they have taken four points from two away games this campaign, and prices for this match vary between operators, so visit our BoyleSports betting site review for a breakdown of the bookmaker's football markets.

Team news and predicted lineups for Northern Ireland vs Ukraine

Northern Ireland team news

Northern Ireland's injury list is long and concentrated in defence, with Ballard sidelined due to the injury he suffered in the win in Georgia and Bradley a long-term absentee.

Ceadach O'Neill's withdrawal is a blow after the Arsenal teenager committed his international future to Northern Ireland with a fourth cap in Trnava, while goalkeeper Dermot Mee has received a first senior call-up.

Manager O'Neill used a back three against Georgia last time out, with Ethan Galbraith returning to midfield after missing the Ukraine win, and an unchanged eleven looks the most likely selection.

Readers wanting a fresh bookmaker can find recently launched UKGC-licensed operators in our list of the best newest UK betting sites.

Northern Ireland predicted lineup vs Ukraine

Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): P Charles; Atcheson, McConville, Brown; Hume, S Charles, Galbraith, Devenny; Price, Kelly; Donley.

Ukraine team news

Ukraine have lost Zubkov to an injury picked up with AEK Athens, and Ponomarenko to one suffered in the Shakhtar vs Dynamo game, with Artem Dovbyk called up to replace the latter.

Maldera said on Friday that Shaparenko, who joined the squad in place of Zubkov, is unwell and that Bondar is tired after a run of matches, and he listed both among Ukraine's absences.

Vitaliy Mykolenko is back in the squad after missing the defeat to Northern Ireland through injury.

Tsygankov, who captained the side in the 2-1 home defeat to Hungary, is also injured and was replaced in the squad by Oleksiy Kashchuk, while Vladyslav Veleten is not in the squad either, so Ukraine's wide attacking options look set to change again.

Ukraine predicted lineup vs Northern Ireland

Predicted XI (3-4-1-2): Trubin; Zabarnyi, Sarapii, Mykhavko; Krupskyi, Nazaryna, Ocheretko, Mykolenko; Sudakov; Yaremchuk, Krasnopir.

Northern Ireland vs Ukraine head-to-head record

Ukraine lead the all-time record by three wins to two with two draws, but the meeting that matters is the most recent, a 3-0 Northern Ireland win on October 2.

Ukraine had 73% of the ball that night yet managed only two shots on target, and goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk allowed Brown's second goal to pass through his legs.

The older history offers colour rather than guidance, from the 2-0 win at Euro 2016 in Lyon to current boss O'Neill playing in Northern Ireland's 1-0 defeat to Ukraine in 1996.

For those weighing up a bet on the game, our ranking of the top betting sites UK compares the main bookmakers.

Our Northern Ireland vs Ukraine prediction and betting tips

Odds correct as of Thursday, 12 November 2026, 11:10 GMT.