Preview: Italy vs Northern Ireland Prediction, lineups, betting tips & odds | 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

The previous outing between these teams ended in a goalless draw.

Italy are all set to battle it out against Northern Ireland for their semi-final fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup European qualifiers Play-Offs. The New Balance Arena is going to witness this interesting clash.

Gli Azzurri faced a major setback after their 1-4 loss to Norway in their last group stage outing of the World Cup qualifying. They still have a chance to seal a spot in the mega competition, but there is a challenge in their way. The Italy national football team will be at home for their upcoming contest and it is going to be an advantage for them.

The big push starts now 💪#Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/0jVu7gfg47

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) March 23, 2026

The Northern Ireland national football team have performed inconsistently in their last few matches. They will be under pressure for their next one, as it is going to be a tough outing for them. The Green and White Army will be looking to give their all, but away from home, they will not be fully confident.

Kick-off:

• Location: Bergamo, Italy
• Stadium: New Balance Arena
• Date: Friday, March 27
• Kick-off Time: 01:15 AM IST (Thursday, Mar 26; 07:45 PM GMT/ 02:45 PM ET/ 11:45 AM PT)
• Referee: TBA
• VAR: In use

Form:

Italy: W-W-W-W-L

Northern Ireland: L-W-L-L-W

Players to Watch

Pio Esposito (Italy)

The 20-year-old is going to be one of the main men in the attacking front for the Italy national football team. He is coming in after scoring goals in back-to-back games for his club Inter Milan and will be keen to bring the same momentum to his national team. Pio Esposito is going to be a constant threat to the opponent’s defence.

Justin Devenny (Northern Ireland)

From controlling the midfield to scoring goals, Justin Devenny is going to be a crucial aspect of the squad for the Northern Ireland national football team. The 22-year-old Crystal Palace star will be looking to step up his game so that he can come up with a top performance to help his side.

Match Facts

• Italy have won four of their last five games.
• Northern Ireland have won two of their last five fixtures.
• The Green and White Army have only defeated Gli Azzurri once in their last 11 attempts.

Italy vs Northern Ireland: Betting Tips and Odds

• Italy to win @3/10 Ladbrokes
• Pio Esposito to score @13/10 Betway
• Goals over 3.5 @2/1 SkyBet

Injury and Team News

Federico Chiesa, Gianluca Scamacca, Sandro Tonali and Gianluca Mancini might not be in action for Italy due to a lack of fitness.

Daniel Ballard is not going to be in action for Northern Ireland. He is injured.

📣 Squad update: Daniel Ballard 🟢⚪️ #GAWA pic.twitter.com/hX0F5XT2Ha

— Northern Ireland (@NorthernIreland) March 23, 2026

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Head-to-Head

Total matches: 11

Italy won: 7

Northern Ireland won: 1

Draws: 3

Predicted Lineups

Italy predicted lineup (3-1-4-2)

Donnarumma (GK); Gatti, Bastoni, Calafiori; Locatelli; Politano, Fratessi, Barella, Dimarco; Esposito, Retegui

Northern Ireland predicted lineup (3-4-3)

Hazard (GK); McConville, McNair, Brown; Devlin, Lyons, McDonnell, Devenny; Marshall, Donley, Price

Match Prediction

The hosts will be fully confident, keeping the Green and White Army under pressure. The Italy national football team are likely to come out on top to defeat the Northern Ireland national football team in their upcoming FIFA World Cup European qualifiers clash.

Prediction: Italy 3-1 Northern Ireland

Telecast Details

India: Sony Sports Network, SonyLIV

UK: Prime Video UK

USA: Disney+, Fox Sports, Fubo TV, ViX

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