As part of their preparation for the World Cup Qualifiers, Northern Ireland are set to host Switzerland at Windsor Park for a friendly match on Friday.
The Green and White Army will be looking to build momentum with a 10-month gap between competitive matches, while the A-Team will be hoping to reset after a lengthy winless run.
Match preview
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Michael O'Neill's Northern Ireland ended 2024 with a four-game unbeaten streak that bookended back-to-back wins against Bulgaria and Belarus with two draws.
Most recently, the Green and White Army topped their Nations League group after a 2-2 stalemate on the road to Luxembourg, but the manager will be disappointed with the way that his team surrendered the two-goal lead that Isaac Price and Conor Bradley had given them.
Regardless, the point they took at Stade de Luxembourg was enough to earn promotion to League B, and they have also been drawn to play against Les Lions Rouge in September as part of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
With such a long period between competitive action, the youthful hosts will be hoping to maintain their excellent home record that has seen them win five on the bounce at Windsor Park without conceding a single goal.
Friday's match will also be a useful test for O'Neill's men, who need to gauge their levels after facing what can be described as a number of lower-calibre sides in recent months.
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Meanwhile, Murat Yakin's Switzerland have not won any of their six games since being eliminated by England in 2024's European Championship, drawing two and losing four.
Last time out, the A-Team were beaten 3-2 by Spain in the Nations League, and they may feel hard done-by after coming from behind to level the score at 2-2, only to lose to a stoppage-time penalty from Bryan Zaragoza.
That result was unfortunate for Yakin's side, but even a reverse outcome could not have changed the fact that they finished bottom of League A's group 4.
With World Cup Qualifiers of their own coming up in September against Kosovo and Slovenia, the manager will be looking for a renewed vigour in his side that can take them to another international tournament in 2026.
However, with three consecutive losses away from home ahead of Friday's clash – two of which Switzerland blanked in - they may find it difficult to start their turnaround against an in-form Northern Ireland.
Team News
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With captain Conor Bradley out injured, Trai Hume could line up at right wing-back on Friday, while Brodie Spencer operates on the left.
Similarly, striker Dion Charles had to pull out win an injury on Tuesday, and O'Neill could take the opportunity to start 20-year-old Callum Marshall up top in his absence.
As for Switzerland, striker Joel Monteiro could have worked his way into Yakin's XI after coming from the bench to score against Spain back in November, with Simon Sohm withdrawn.
The visitors have a lack of experienced players in their defensive ranks for March's friendlies, and Lucas Blondel of Boca Juniors could feature at right-back as a result.
Elsewhere, with no Granit Xhaka in the squad, the A-Team are likely to turn to a duo of Vincent Sierro and Remo Freuler at the base of midfield.
Northern Ireland possible starting lineup:
P Charles; Brown, McNair, McConville; Hume, Saville, S Charles, Spencer; Galbraith, Price; Marshall
Switzerland possible starting lineup:
Kobel; Blondel, Comert, Rodriguez, Muheim; Freuler, Sierro; Kutesa, Amdouni, Vargas; Monteiro
We say: Northern Ireland 2-0 Switzerland
Northern Ireland have been exceptional at home in recent times, while Switzerland have struggled since their elimination from the Euros in the summer, so expect a comfortable win for the hosts this week.
That being said, it will be interesting to see how the Green and White Army fare against higher-tier opposition on Friday, and the A-Team should be lining up with some new faces.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
