Ireland’s return to the UEFA Nations League has not gone as planned, with the team yet to secure a win or score in their opening three games. Meanwhile, England, who have won nine of their last 15 home games at this level, appear well-positioned to capitalize on this matchup.
In terms of recent scoring trends, 15 of England’s last 21 UEFA Nations League games at home have featured two or fewer goals, a pattern also seen in 10 of Ireland’s last 15 top-tier games. This suggests a similar low-scoring encounter is likely when they face off.
Ireland’s last 21 away games in the Nations League have rarely featured both teams scoring, with only five such occasions. Similarly, 13 of England’s last 18 games at this level have seen one side keep a clean sheet, indicating it would be surprising if both teams found the net here.
Prediction
England’s last 19 home games in the Nations League have seen 14 matches with fewer than 2.5 goals, including their most recent four. A similar trend applies to Ireland, with 13 of their last 16 away games seeing under 2.5 goals. Thus, this contest is likely to remain a low-scoring affair.
Prediction: England 1 – 0 Ireland