Luxembourg vs Northern Ireland – Match preview and team news

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The Football Faithful

·4 September 2025

Luxembourg vs Northern Ireland – Match preview and team news

Luxembourg and Northern Ireland go head-to-head in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Thursday evening.

Both sides will be searching for a positive start to their Group A campaign, in an intriguing group that also contains Germany and Slovakia.

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Luxembourg vs Northern Ireland – Match preview and team news

Date: Thursday, 4th September.
Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
Venue: Stade de Luxembourg, Letzebuerg.

Luxembourg team news

New head coach Jeff Strasser will take charge of his first competitive match after replacing Luc Holtz, who had been in charge since 2010. The 50-year-old former midfielder has named a 23-man squad for what he describes as a “good and positive” atmosphere within the team.

Veteran goalkeeper Anthony Moris returns to the squad after declining a call-up in June, having recently moved to Saudi Pro League side Al-Khaleej. The 35-year-old will compete with Tiago Pereira Cardoso for the number one spot.

However, Strasser faces key absences with midfielder Christopher Martins ruled out due to an abductor injury sustained during his time with Spartak Moscow. Vincent Thill and Sébastien Thill are also unavailable through injury, while Brian Madjo declined his call-up.

Heracles forward Yvandro Borges Sanches returns after recovering from injury, providing attacking options alongside St. Pauli striker Danel Sinani, who has scored 14 international goals and netted twice in his opening Bundesliga fixtures this season.

Read – The late Premier League transfers confirmed after Deadline Day

Northern Ireland team news

Michael O’Neill’s squad has been hit by several withdrawals, with goalkeeper Pierce Charles suffering a shoulder injury and defenders Daniel Ballard and Brodie Spencer also unavailable. Paul Smyth has withdrawn through injury, adding to O’Neill’s selection headaches.

Bailey Peacock-Farrell returns as first-choice goalkeeper for what would be his 49th cap, having been recalled from Blackpool. Bolton Wanderers captain Eoin Toal returns after missing recent camps through injury.

In attack, West Bromwich Albion midfielder Isaac Price arrives in outstanding form, having scored nine goals in his last 22 international appearances, including three in four games during 2025. The 21-year-old has been tipped to potentially eclipse David Healy’s all-time record of 36 goals for Northern Ireland.

There’s also the option of playing Paul Smyth and Diol alongwith Stevenage striker Jamie Reid as he has been recalled after scoring five goals in six League One matches this season, following his recovery from a blood clot that affected his 2024-25 campaign.

Read – Every Premier League team to break their transfer record this summer

Form

Luxembourg: DWLLD

Strasser’s appointment came after Luxembourg finished bottom of UEFA Nations League Group C3, without a win in their last seven competitive matches. Their most recent outing was a 0-0 draw with Ireland in a June friendly, after suffering defeats to Switzerland and Slovenia earlier this year.

The Red Lions showed improvement under previous coach Luc Holtz, coming back from 2-0 down to secure a 2-2 draw with Northern Ireland in November 2024. They managed a shock 1-0 friendly victory over Sweden in March before their recent struggles.

Northern Ireland: DDLLW

O’Neill’s side secured promotion from Nations League League C after topping their group with 11 points from six matches. They impressed with a 5-0 victory over Bulgaria in October 2024 and held Switzerland to a draw in March despite fielding a young squad.

Their most recent outing was a 1-0 victory over Iceland at Windsor Park, with Price scoring the winner despite Brodie Spencer’s red card. The Green and White Army have shown resilience in competitive fixtures recently.

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