Slovakia secured a 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland in World Cup qualifying on 14 November, with the hosts' defensive structure proving decisive in a low-shot encounter. Deployed in a 3-4-3 formation, Slovakia dominated territorially and created more threatening opportunities, registering 16 shots compared to Northern Ireland's nine, though both sides managed only two efforts on target. The expected goals metric favoured the hosts at 1.29 to 0.76, reflecting their superior control and chance creation despite the narrow scoreline. Slovakia's goalkeeper made a 50 per cent save rate from limited direct threats, while Northern Ireland's 3-4-2-1 setup offered little attacking penetration. Istvan Kovacs oversaw a disciplined match with minimal controversy. The result strengthens Slovakia's qualifying campaign momentum.