Wales vs. Northern Ireland: Live Stream, Odds and Form Guide for Euro 2016
Wales and Northern Ireland both have the chance to make a major statement in Paris on Saturday, when they meet in the last 16 of the 2016 UEFA European Championship.
The all-British affair will see two sides that did remarkably well to make it to the finals and have excelled during their three matches in France so far. Wales topped a group containing archrivals England, while Northern Ireland will be delighted to have progressed from a pool that also included Germany, Poland and Ukraine.
Once teams arrive at the knockout stages, all thoughts turn to winning the competition. Here are the key viewing details for this game and a look at which side the bookmakers think will make the next step in their incredible journey.
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| Wales (Evens) | Draw (21-10) | Northern Ireland (4-1) |
| Wales (2-5) | Northern Ireland (15-8) | |
| Gareth Bale (3-1) | Hal Robson-Kanu (7-1) | George Williams (8-1) |
| Sam Vokes (5-1) | Simon Church (13-2) | Will Grigg (9-1) |
| Aaron Ramsey (7-1) | Kyle Lafferty (8-1) | Conor Washington (10-1) |
| Won 3-0 vs. Russia | Lost 1-0 vs. Germany |
| Lost 2-1 vs. England | Won 2-0 vs. Ukraine |
| Won 3-1 vs. Slovakia | Lost 1-0 vs. Poland |
Odds relayed by Oddschecker and accurate as of 1:30 p.m. (BST) on June 24
Match can be streamed via the BBC iPlayer (UK) and WatchESPN (U.S.)
Battle of Britain Set for French Capital
Wales and Northern Ireland are not the two most glamorous nations in the final 16 at this tournament, but both camps are confident of being crowned kings of the continent, it would seem.
“The ultimate goal is we want to try and win the tournament,” said Wales talisman Gareth Bale, per BBC Sport. Northern Ireland’s star striker, Kyle Lafferty, insisted, per the same source: “With the squad we have I honestly am sitting here thinking we can go all the way."
The remarkable run will end for one of these two sides in Paris on Saturday evening, but why shouldn’t they be ambitious? After all, Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe included a player from each nation in his best XI from the group stage:
Bale will be the best player on display, of that there’s little doubt. With three goals, no player has scored more in the tournament so far.
Northern Ireland will have to work very hard to stop him, but as these numbers from WhoScored.com illustrate, Wales are far from a one-man team:
Indeed, the midfield axis of Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen is one segment of the side that has worked brilliantly. The former has been the player keenest to get forward and support Bale, making some key contributions in the final third, while the Liverpool man has scurried around at the base of midfield, breaking up attacks and moving possession on swiftly.
It means Northern Ireland will have to be at their best if they’re to overcome Wales. Nevertheless, manager Michael O’Neill will be aware his side have what it takes, and he will be hoping to see a display comparable to their clinical 2-0 win over Ukraine on June 16.
As noted by Oliver Holt of the Mail on Sunday, against world champions Germany, a match they lost 1-0, the men in green also acquitted themselves well:
Michael McGovern’s stunning display between the sticks kept the scoreline down in that one, and you sense that with Northern Ireland likely to sit deep, he’ll be busy again. In the likes of Ramsey and Bale, Wales have players capable of conjuring space in tight areas, and chances will inevitably come for Chris Coleman’s team.
It will be something of a role reversal for Wales. So far in this tournament, their ethos has been to play on the counter-attack; in this game, they’ll likely have a lot of the ball and be tasked with unpicking an obdurate defence. As such, a lot of patience will be required, but Coleman’s men have shown they possess the kind of maturity needed to edge this one.
Prediction: Wales 1-0 Northern Ireland
