Northern Ireland are hoping to capitalise on a promising generation as they begin their next cycle away at Georgia in the Nations League.
Georgia took Europe by storm in summer 2024 with an excellent showing at the European Championship, where they were knocked out in the last 16 by eventual champions Spain after a string of exciting performances.
The Eastern European side failed to capitalise on that, though, with their performance levels dipping in World Cup qualifying, meaning they failed to qualify for this summer's tournament.
They come into this Nations League campaign in League B, sharing a group with Hungary, Ukraine and Northern Ireland. In what is a tough group, it'll prepare them well as they bid to qualify for a second successive Euros.
Their form coming into this game is decent, with two wins, two draws and and one defeat. The wins came against Bahrain (2-0) and Lithuania (2-0) and the draws against Romania (1-1) and Israel (2-2).
They'll be buoyed by having a forward with the quality of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who some believe is the best forward in Europe. Kvaratskhelia has a near one in two goal record for Georgia, so Ireland will need to be wary of him.
Northern Ireland, meanwhile, haven't qualified for a tournament since 2016. Their is a lot of excitement around the current crop, however, who many are calling their most promising generation in many years.
Shea and Pierce Charles are two Manchester City graduates, while West Brom's Isaac Price is lauded by many. Sunderland pair Ban Ballard and Trai Hume bring plenty of Premier League experience, making the squad quality-laden.
In terms of form, Michale O'Neill's side have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five. The wins were 1-0 victories over Guinea and Luxembourg, while the defeats came at the hands of France (3-1) and Italy (2-0). The draw was a 1-1 result against Wales.
Overall, then, these two sides are ranked only two places apart in the world rankings and are in similar veins of form. Based on that, we think this one will end all square.
Georgia 1-1 Northern Ireland
