Northern Ireland Hosts Winless Georgia in UEFA Nations League Group B2

Unbeaten Northern Ireland looks to stay top of Group B2 on Monday, while bottom-of-the-table Georgia chases a first goal and a first win of the campaign.

Northern Ireland closes out the international break at home on Monday, hosting Georgia in UEFA Nations League Group B2 at Windsor Park in Belfast, the venue listed for the fixture as Clearer Twist National Stadium. Kickoff is 7:45 p.m. BST, which is 2:45 p.m. EDT. It is the final match of this window for both teams. The sides arrive in sharply different positions: Northern Ireland leads the group unbeaten, while Georgia sits last with neither a goal nor a win to its name.

Michael O'Neill's young squad has set the pace in the group. Northern Ireland opened the campaign with a 1-0 away victory in Georgia, ground out a 0-0 draw with Hungary and then delivered a 3-0 win over Ukraine. The defense has yet to concede in the competition, a run of three straight clean sheets.

O'Neill has built his side around a younger generation of players and is expected to keep changes to a minimum after Friday night's performance. He remains without a pair of Premier League players, as Conor Bradley and defender Daniel Ballard continue to miss out through injury. Jamie Donley is expected to lead the attack on his own, with Isaac Price offering creative support from an advanced midfield position.

Georgia's campaign has gone the other way. The Crusaders opened with a 1-0 home defeat to Northern Ireland, played to a 0-0 draw with Ukraine and most recently lost 1-0 to Hungary. Those results leave the side at the bottom of the group with no goals through three matches.

The visitors are also navigating a period of transition. Willy Sagnol was dismissed after last month's 1-0 defeat to Northern Ireland, and interim manager Ramaz Svanadze has been given the job of stabilizing the side. Midfielder Otar Kiteishvili remains out of action and will miss the trip.

Much of Georgia's attacking hope rests on forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who missed a penalty in the reverse fixture and will be out to atone. Svanadze is expected to field an aggressive front three, partnering Kvaratskhelia with Georges Mikautadze and Giorgi Chakvetadze as Georgia tries to end its scoring drought.

The stakes are clear at both ends of the table. A home win would keep Northern Ireland's unbeaten record intact and strengthen its hold on first place in Group B2, while a first goal and a first result would ease the pressure around Georgia. O'Neill's players will also look to lean on home advantage in Belfast.

Viewers in the UK can watch the match live and free on the BBC. The fixture closes the international break for both nations on Monday evening.

Georgia's visit to Northern Ireland is set for Monday, October 5, at Windsor Park. Per Global Sportscast's schedule, kickoff is 2:45 p.m. EDT.