Our prediction for this Euro 2024 match:
Slovenia
Match Time & Date:
07/09/2023
01:45 PM
Prediction: 1-0
Northern Ireland
After holding Denmark to a 1-1 draw in their last group game, Slovenia will look to return to winning ways in the EURO 2024 qualifiers when they take on Northern Ireland at Stadion Stozice on Thursday evening. The Zmajceki are eyeing their third win of the process and they are surely capable of making life difficult for the out-of-sorts visitors. A man to keep an eye on in the home team will be Panathinaikos striker Andraz Sporar, who is likely to prove a handful for the opposition back-line.
Northern Ireland, on the other hand, are on a three-game losing run in Group H and given their poor display in a 1-0 loss to Kazakhstan, home win should definitely be considered. Kilmarnock midfielder Brad Lyons has received his first call-up, with QPR forward Paul Smyth making the cut as well. The likes of Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, and Corry Evans are injured for the visiting side, which is yet another reason why we are going to bet on Slovenia.
Highlighted Player (Andraz Sporar):
Born in Ljubljana, Slovenia on February 27, 1994, Andraz Sporar is a striker who plays for Slovakian side Slovan Bratislava. Sporar spent his youth career at the likes of Olimpija, MNK Ljubljana and Interblock and he continued playing for the last mentioned club at senior level.
After scoring 10 goals in 21 appearances for the club, the Slovenian attacker moved to his hometown club Olimpija Ljubljana where he earned the captaincy. Andraz Sporar was scoring goals for fun in the Slovenian top flight, netting 46 goals in 95 appearances in the league, but he then decided to take a step forward in his career.
In the 2015/2016 season he moved to Swiss outfit Basel, but he made no more than 19 appearances in the league for the RotBlau. During his spell with Basel Sporar played for Arminia Bielefeld on loan as well and in the winter of 2018 he joined Slovan Bratislava. Speaking of his international career, he made his debut with Slovenia in November 2016 against Malta.
Highlighted Team (Northern Ireland):
Competing first under the Irish flag and then as an independent entity, Northern Ireland are one of world’s oldest national teams, but they haven’t enjoyed too much success in history. Led by Danny Blanchflower, the Irish impressed at their first ever World Cup finals appearance, reaching the quarter-finals in 1958, but they have since only played at the 1982 and 1986 tournaments, reaching round 2 and crashing out in the group stage respectively.
Northern Ireland had failed to qualify for 13 successive European Championship finals before finally booking their ticket to the Euro 2016 in France, and the fans hope this success will only be a sign of things to come. Without a doubt, George Best is the most famous footballer to have ever put on the green shirt, scoring 9 goals in 37 appearances, but he couldn’t help the national team close the gap behind Europe’s top sides.
Some of the other high-profile footballers include Pat Jennings, Aaron Hughes, David Healy, Keith Gillespie, Steven Davies and Gareth McAuley.
Liverpool
Burnley
Tottenham
Brighton
AS Roma
Inter
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayern Munich 
Nottingham Forest 
Newcastle 
Real Madrid 
Girona
