Wales finished on top of Group B with a resounding victory over Russia on Monday. The Dragons will look to build on the momentum from that impressive showing when they take on minnows Northern Ireland in the round of 16 at Parc des Princes this coming Saturday.
Read on below for a complete breakdown of this knockout clash and while you’re at it, you can check out our Euro round of 16 previews of Switzerland vs. Poland and Croatia vs. Portugal.
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Wales will head to the knockout stages with momentum on their side after thrashing Russia, 3-0, in their final group match on Monday. Aaron Ramsey, Neil Taylor and Gareth Bale scored the winning goals for the Welsh who capped off their Group B campaign with six points to their name.
Key to Wales’ strong start in this tournament has been their stellar attack. They have scored a total of six goals in the group stages, the best mark in the entire competition. To no one’s surprise, it was Gareth Bale who carried the scoring load for Wales. The Real Madrid star has scored in each of Wales’ three group games.
For Wales to grab that all-important victory against Northern Ireland this coming weekend, they need to control the tempo right from the get-go. Key to Wales’ success in this tournament thus far has been their fast starts with three of their six goals coming in the 20th minute or earlier. With Ramsey’s quick goal in the 11th minute, the Welsh side was able to dictate the tempo against Russia. They outshot the Russians in attempts (19-12) and in the shots on target department (12-2).
Apart from that, what makes Wales so tough to beat in this competition is their impeccable defense. Through three matches in this tournament, they have conceded just two goals with one of those goals coming in added time against England. Wales will need to be wary, though, of a Northern Ireland side that has lost only two of its past 15 international matches.
That being said, Wales will fancy their chances of beating Northern Ireland as they have fared extremely well against them of late. They are unbeaten in their last four seven matches against the Norn Iron. They battled to a 1-1 draw in their last meeting in a friendly earlier this year.
Betting on Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland will live to fight another day in the European Championship after they secured a place in the round of 16 on Wednesday. Even though they lost 1-0 to Germany in their final group match, the Green and White Army’s three-point tally was enough to send them through to the knockout stages. This is the first time Northern Ireland have made it to the knockout round of a major tournament since the 1958 World Cup.
Lying in wait for Northern Ireland in the second round is surprise package Wales. The Norn Iron won’t be fazed by that matchup one bit, though, as they have already proven in this year’s Euros that they can stand toe-to-toe and beat the very best. Northern Ireland pulled off one of the biggest upsets of this year’s tournament when they took down highly-fancied Ukraine, 2-0, in their Group C clash on June 16.
Key to Northern Ireland’s strong start in this tournament has been their stingy defense. They have conceded just two goals in their opening three matches. Providing the backbone for their backline is veteran defender Aaron Hughes. He is Northern Ireland’s second most-capped player with a whopping 102 caps to his name.
That being said, they will have their work cut out for them against a Welsh side that has already scored six goals this campaign. For Northern Ireland to record another major shock, they will need Kyle Lafferty to step up his play against Wales. The 28-year-old has yet to open his account in this year’s tournament. He scored seven goals in qualifying for Northern Ireland.
