Euro 2020 Qualification: Northern Ireland - Belarus Preview and Prediction

Date/Time: Sunday 25th March 2019 (Kick-off 8:45 PM CET).

The schedule for the Euro 2020 Qualifiers may have worked in Northern Ireland's favour as they play Estonia and Belarus twice each before taking on the Netherlands and Germany in their final four Qualifiers.

Michael O'Neill insists his players will have to improve, but he will also be reminding them by putting 12 points on the board before facing the top two nations in the Group could put some pressure on Netherlands and Germany. In that situation Northern Ireland could find the upsets they need to finish in the top two in this section, although it is an extremely tall task for a nation that have been very unlucky to be placed in such a tough Group.

I do think Northern Ireland will make it two wins from two on Sunday though as they face a Belarus team who have not been the best travellers in Qualifiers in recent years.

Belarus are under no pressure having already secured a Euro 2020 Play Off place by winning their League D Group, but the 4-0 hammering at the Netherlands shows there is a big difference in playing Luxembourg, Moldova and San Marino and then taking on teams in these Qualifiers.

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Last time they visited Windsor Park saw Belarus brushed aside and I do think the home team will have too much for them here. As long as Northern Ireland have 'polished up in the final third' as Michael O'Neill wanted I think they can win by a comfortable margin on the day and cover the Asian Handicap too.

 

Prediction: Northern Ireland' - 0.75 Asian Handicap