Israel vs Ireland prediction: expert analysis, possible lineups, September 27, 2026
UEFA Nations League B
On September 26, 2026, Israel and Ireland will face off in the second round of League B in the UEFA Nations League. The nominal hosts will be looking to claim victory in Debrecen.
Israel - Ireland team news and expert analysis
Israel have been unable to fully show their potential. In the previous Nations League campaign, they played in League A but finished bottom, despite collecting the same four points as Belgium. In qualifying, they lost to Italy and Norway, although they recorded perfect results against Estonia and Moldova. In 2026, they have managed to play just two friendlies: a draw with Georgia in March and a victory over Albania in June. In their opening match against favorites Austria, they managed to level the score after conceding first. However, Abu Farhi, who scored the equalizer, was shown a second yellow card while celebrating. Playing with ten men, his teammates conceded twice late on and eventually lost 1-3.
Ireland managed to finish second in their qualifying group, ahead of Hungary. However, in March they lost on penalties to their first playoff opponent, the Czech Republic. Their friendly results were encouraging: victories over Grenada and Qatar, along with draws against North Macedonia and Canada. In their Nations League opener against Kosovo, they tried to hold on for a 0-0 draw but conceded to Muriki late in the game.
Solomon and company average 1.7 goals scored per match, but they also concede nearly as many — 1.9. The islanders score 1.5 goals per game while conceding half as many — 0.7.
Previous matches: Israel - Ireland
The national teams met in World Cup qualifying in 2005. Both encounters ended in high-scoring draws.
The nominal visitors are considered the favorites. However, we do not expect many goals in any case — our pick is "under 2.5 total goals" (odds – 1.80).
Israel - Ireland: key statistics and trends
- Israel had not lost in four consecutive matches before their previous game
- In 40% of Israel's matches, both teams score, and the average total goals per game is 3.6
- Ireland had not lost in regulation time in eight consecutive matches before their setback in the previous game
- In 30% of Ireland's matches, both teams score, and the average total goals per game is 2.2
Israel - Ireland: possible starting lineups
Israel play in a 1-4-4-2 formation (possible lineup): Peretz, Revivo, Stoyanov, Nahmias, Mizrahi, Peretz, Halaili, Gloukh, Solomon, Peretz - Turgeman. Abu Farhi was sent off in the previous match
Ireland play in a 1-3-4-2-1 formation (possible lineup): Kelleher - O'Shea, Egan, O'Brien - Scales, Molumby, Knight, Abankwah - Azaz, Ogbene - Parrott
Place your bets on the upcoming match and keep track of your team's position in the UEFA Nations League table
