Summary

  • Northern Ireland beaten in first Nations League game

  • Duljevic taps Bosnia-Herzegovina in front against run of play

  • Poor Cathcart header allows Saric to double lead

  • Late Grigg strike gives NI hope

  • Hosts have lost past three competitive home games

  1. Saville ready for the challengepublished at 13:46 British Summer Time 8 September 2018

    Northern Ireland v Bosnia-Herzegovina (14:00 BST)

    .Image source, .

    Northern Ireland midfielder George Saville is relishing the prospect of battling with Juventus star Miralem Pjanic in today's Nations League opener.

    Pjanic and Roma's former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko are the big names in the Bosnian squad.

    "We all play football to play against the best players in the world," said Middlesbrough man Saville.

    "Pjanic is a great player. I'm really looking forward to the challenge."

  2. Watch the highlights on BBC One NIpublished at 13:43 British Summer Time 8 September 2018

    Northern Ireland v Bosnia-Herzegovina (14:00 BST)

    If you want to catch the highlights of today's game then they will be on BBC One Northern Ireland at 22:55 BST.

    All of Northern Ireland's Nations League games and Euro qualifiers will also be live on BBC Radio Ulster.

  3. Grigg 'back on fire'published at 13:36 British Summer Time 8 September 2018

    Northern Ireland v Bosnia-Herzegovina (14:00 BST)

    .Image source, Getty Images

    BBC Sport NI's Richard Petrie at Windsor Park: "It's been two long years - almost - since Northern Ireland fans have been able to blast out a rendition of their favourite song - and their chosen anthem of Euro 2016 - 'Will Grigg's on Fire'.

    "A combination of injury, club commitments and personal issues have led to a prolonged absence from the Northern Ireland squad but the Wigan Athletic striker is on the bench today and can expect the 'warmest' of welcomes if he is called into action by NI manager Michael O'Neill.

    "With three goals so far this season, he is one of a number of 'in-form' strikers in the Northern Ireland squad.

    "And don't expect his absence from today's starting line-up to hinder the chants of adoration from the stands.

    "Grigg became a cult hero and a household name in France at Euro 2016 despite never kicking a ball for the men in green!"

  4. Simple, right?published at 13:34 British Summer Time 8 September 2018

    .

    Still, despite all the video explainers, I can't help but think of Alan Partridge's World Cup wheel when it comes to explaining the Uefa Nations League format...

  5. So... what is the Nations League?published at 13:30 British Summer Time 8 September 2018

    Are you, like Michael O'Neill was, a little perplexed by the whole Uefa Nations League format? Well handily we have a couple of videos that do a good job of explaining what it is and how it works, which you can watch here.

    .Image source, .

    The long and short of it is that all 55 of Uefa's members will take part in the competition.

    They are split into four leagues - with the best European teams in League A, down to the lowest ranked European teams in League D.

    At the end of this season’s tournament, some countries will be promoted and some will be relegated. The tournament is played every two years.

    And here's the big reward - there's four places at the 2020 European Championships up for grabs.

    The hope is lower ranked teams are more likely to qualify for the Euros, and that international will get more fans.

  6. Postpublished at 13:27 British Summer Time 8 September 2018

    Northern Ireland go into today's game with only one win from their last seven matches, having come out on top in five successive fixtures before that.

    O'Neill's men lie 12 places above their opponents in the Fifa rankings, having climbed two places to 27th in the latest standings released in August.

    The encounter with the Bosnians will be NI's fourth game of 2018 as they continue to build towards the qualification campaign for Euro 2020, which begins in March 2019.

  7. Prosinecki's nightmare November nightpublished at 13:19 British Summer Time 8 September 2018

    Northern Ireland v Bosnia & Herzegovina (14:00 BST)

    .Image source, Getty Images

    BBC Sport NI's Richard Petrie at Windsor Park: "Bosnia & Herzegovina manager Robert Prosinecki will be keen to erase the memory of his last visit to Windsor Park as a manager when his Azerbaijan side lost 4-0 to Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifier on 11 November 2016.

    "The former Croatian midfielder will hope for a better outcome in his first competitive match in charge of the Bosnians.

    "Incidentally, that November night was also the last time striker Will Grigg pulled on the green shirt, being introduced as a second-half substitute. The Wigan Athletic striker will hope for a slice of the action off the bench today.

    "And it was the match in which Kyle Lafferty scored the last of his 20 international goals.

    "Northern Ireland have never lost any of the 17 matches Lafferty has scored in. The 'Green and White Army' will hope that sequence continues today."

  8. Team newspublished at 13:14 British Summer Time 8 September 2018

    Northern Ireland v Boznia-Herzegovina (14:00 BST)

    Leeds United goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell starts in goal for Northern Ireland. The England-born keeper recently pledged his future to Northern Ireland after being sounded out to switch allegiance to the Three Lions.

    Kyle Lafferty, Stuart Dallas and Niall McGinn start in attack as Will Grigg has to make do with a place on the bench.

    Northern Ireland XI: Peacock-Farrell, McLaughlin, Evans, Cathcart, Lewis, Norwood, Davis, Saville, McGinn, Lafferty, Dallas.

    Former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko starts and captains Bosnia-Herzegovina. Mo Besic, currently on loan at Middlesbrough from Everton, plays at right back.

    Bosnia-Herzegovina XI: Sehic, Besic, Sunjic, Zukanovic, Civic, Saric, Cimirot, Pjanic, Visca, Dzeko, Duljevic.

  9. Windsor Park is readypublished at 13:09 British Summer Time 8 September 2018

    Northern Ireland v Bosnia-Herzegovina (14:00 BST)

    Windsor ParkImage source, BBC Sport
    Image caption,

    Windsor Park

    Windsor Park is looking resplendent as curious fans head down to see what this Uefa Nations League lark is all about.

    Plenty of people have been getting in a tizz about how exactly the whole thing works, with Michael O'Neill even admitting he and the Northern Ireland players had to watch a video to get their heads around it.

    "We have gone through it in a fair amount of detail," said O'Neill. 'Uefa have a nice little video which explains it and the players have seen that."

    We'll get down to the details in a minute - or you can have a watch of the video O'Neill refers to here, external - but first, the teams...

  10. Postpublished at 13:00 British Summer Time 8 September 2018

    .Image source, Getty Images

    There's been a lot of positive progress for Northern Ireland since Michael O'Neill took charge seven years ago.

    Two years ago they had most of Europe belting out "Will Grigg is on fire" - even if they didn't know who Will Grigg is - as they reached the last-16 of Euro 2016.

    Then, they came within a whisker of securing their place at a World Cup for the first time in 32 years as a controversial penalty in a play-off against Switzerland ultimately denied them a place in Russia this summer.

    Now, they take their first steps on their inaugural Uefa Nations League campaign looking to once again defy the odds and perhaps even secure a place at Euro 2020.