Northern Ireland have maintained their defensive strength in the UEFA Nations League, securing a 0-0 draw against Hungary in Belfast on Monday. This result follows a 1-0 victory over Georgia last week, meaning the team has kept two clean sheets in their return to the second tier of the competition.
The draw against Hungary saw the visitors register their first shot on target in the 90th minute. Manager Michael O'Neill expressed pride in his team's performance, noting, "It's two clean sheets in the group, eight clean sheets out of ten games [in Belfast]."
Despite the defensive success, Northern Ireland's attacking play remains a work in progress. Their expected goals (xG) against Hungary was 0.55, their lowest in a Nations League game since September 2022. The team is also without Conor Bradley, who is expected to miss the rest of this Nations League campaign due to a serious knee injury sustained in January.
O'Neill acknowledged the challenge of replacing Bradley's attacking impetus, stating, "When we look at the top end of the pitch, we're looking at much younger players." However, he reiterated that the defensive solidity demonstrated against Hungary provides a platform to build upon.