Northern Ireland U21 vs England U21 Prediction: Three Lions to secure top-two spot in Ballymena

Northern Ireland and England continue their Uefa U21 Euro qualification campaigns on Friday (19:45) when they meet at the Ballymena Showgrounds. The Three Lions can seal a top-two spot by winning in Ballymena, but defeat to Ukraine last October - their only dropped points in Group F - means that the Blue-Yellows top the table at the start of the next round of games.

Friday's hosts, meanwhile, require a miracle to finish as runners-up, and will instead be focused on ensuring they remain above Luxembourg and Azerbaijan, who are two and three points behind them respectively. Read on for my Northern Ireland U21 vs England U21 prediction and all the latest team news.

Team News

Northern Ireland U21 head coach Tommy Wright has made eight changes to the 20-man squad he named for the 2-1 victory over Serbia in March. Three of the four defenders who started in Dubocica are unavailable through injury: Ruairi McConville, Craig Farquhar and Odhran Casey.

Aaron Donnelly and Michael Forbes, who both missed the Serbia qualifier, are back in the setup, while Cliftonville defender Shea Kearney has received his first U21s call-up.

Football Odds

Lee Carsley has taken interim charge of the senior England team, meaning Ben Futcher has been elevated to the U21s to oversee their Euro qualifier against Northern Ireland and next Monday's international friendly with Austria U21.

Futcher's squad includes Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Archie Gray, and Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers.

Harvey Elliott, Omari Hutchinson, Jaden Philogene and Sam Tickle, all originally called up by Futcher, have returned to their clubs for further medical assessment, while Adam Wharton will also play no part in the September internationals due to injury.

Northern Ireland U21 vs England U21 Odds

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Friday's hosts are 12/1 to record their first-ever win against the Three Lions at U21 level. Those odds give the Green and White Army an implied win probability of 7.7%, while England are 2/11, or an 84.6% chance, to make it three out of three against Northern Ireland. The sides first met at U21 level in 2012, with England winning 2-0, while their meeting at Goodison Park last November saw the hosts run out 3-0 victors thanks to a brace from Elliott and a strike from Tyler Morton.

The draw can be backed between these sides at 11/2, while over 2.5 total goals is available at 8/15. Both teams to score is priced at 6/5.

To Win to Nil - England U21 @ 4/5

England have kept four clean sheets in their first seven qualifiers, conceding once in victories over Serbia (9-1) and Azerbaijan (1-5) and three times in a 3-2 defeat to Ukraine in Kosice, Slovakia.

Northern Ireland barely laid a glove on the Three Lions in the reverse fixture in Liverpool, taking just one shot outside the penalty area via substitute Charlie McCann in the 76th minute. Wright's side won't have to contend with the talents of Elliott this time, but there is plenty of firepower in the visitors' ranks that should carry them to victory on Friday.

NI have scored just four times in six group games so far, blanking in three of them - against Luxembourg (0-1), Ukraine (1-0) and England (3-0). The gap in quality between the two squads is substantial, and despite holding a home advantage, I don't believe NI will even be able to get on the scoresheet in Ballymena as Futcher looks to secure a top-two finish.

To Score in Both Halves - England U21 @ 8/11

England have scored in both halves in six of their seven Euro qualifiers, only failing to do so in last October's 3-2 defeat to Ukraine, where they struck both goals in the second half. With the likes of Rogers and Liam Delap in attack, the Three Lions should be confident of making it seven in eight.

Northern Ireland, meanwhile, have conceded in both halves of a match on two occasions in qualification, at home to Serbia last October, and away to England a month later. Wright's men will attempt to hold out for as long as possible on Friday but I expect the Three Lions to make the breakthrough before half-time, and if NI decide to chase the game, that will play into England's hands with the quality they possess in attack.

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