On Thursday night, Lithuania host Northern Ireland in Group C of European qualifying for World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
Lithuania have traditionally struggled for results in the international game. Their efforts in Group C of qualifying have kind of summed up their struggles for any sort of result on the world stage.
We back! 🙌 #GAWA pic.twitter.com/Sk80WBe79V— Northern Ireland (@NorthernIreland) August 30, 2021
We back! 🙌 #GAWA pic.twitter.com/Sk80WBe79V
They have lost both of their qualifiers against Switzerland and Italy without scoring. However, in the grand scheme of things 1-0 and 2-0 defeats against two superior opponents were not terrible results.
When it comes to World Cup qualifying their recent record is a poor one, though. The home team have failed to win any of their last nine qualifiers while suffering eight defeats in the process. They have also scored just two goals in the poor run.
Their most recent form has been poor too, as a 4-0 friendly defeat in Spain last time out was their sixth straight international defeat.
Northern Ireland have punched above their weight at times in the international game in the last decade. The biggest proof of that was the visitors making it to the last-16 at Euro 2016.
However, in recent years Northern Ireland have endured mixed fortunes on the international scene. Their results of late have not been great, as the visitors head into this game having recorded just one win in their last 15 games in 90 minutes. That run has hindered Ian Baraclough’s team in their attempts at upsetting the odds and qualifying for another major international tournament.
The visitors have kicked off their Group C campaign by losing 2-0 against European champions Italy before a goalless draw against Bulgaria in their last qualifier.
The opening results mean that Northern Ireland have now failed to win in six World Cup qualifiers, having suffered four defeats.
However, Forebet predicts that Northern Ireland will get back to winning ways in this clash by recording a victory in a low-scoring encounter.