STAR PREVIEW: Wales v Northern Ireland (Euro 2016 Saturday)

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f the first ‘last 16’ game between Switzerland v Poland is anything to go by, then we could, at last, be seeing Euro 2016 exploding into life.

At 5pm Wales take on Northern Ireland at the Parc des Princes in Paris with both sides bidding for a place in the quarter finals for the first time.

It’s an action replay of the friendly played in Cardiff just three months ago which finished 1-1 but Wales fans will take heart that they were without both Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey that night and both are back today.

Not surprisingly, Wales go into the match as favourites – around 21/20 with Star Sports.

Wales manager Chris Coleman said: ”This is tournament football. Both teams find themselves in a position where they’ve earned respect, they’ve earned the tension. That pressure and tension is what we’ve been screaming for for years – there’s no complaints from us.”

He added: “We’re just looking forward to the game. It will be about who handles that spotlight the best, who’s capable of performing under that pressure and tension.”

His Northern Ireland counterpart Michael O’Neill said: “We don’t want this to end. The players want more. The prize is massive for both teams. We are playing for a place in the quarter-finals and we have to make sure it is us going through.”

Wales v Northern Ireland
UEFA EURO 2016 Round of 16
17:00 BBC One

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD
(Maximum 10 matches)
Mar 2016 INTERNATIONAL Wales 1-1 N Ireland
May 2011 INTERNATIONAL N Ireland 0-2 Wales
Feb 2007 INTERNATIONAL N Ireland 0-0 Wales
Oct 2005 WORLD CUP N Ireland 2-3 Wales
Sep 2004 WORLD CUP Wales 2-2 N Ireland
Mar 1954 WORLD CUP Wales 1-2 N Ireland

It should be a cracker, but Bale and Ramsey are a formidable strike-force and Wales to be leading at both HT and FT makes plenty of appeal at 5/2 with Star Sports.

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BACK WALES HT/FT 75 points at 5/2 with Star Sports

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