Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland: Katie McCabe says Belfast derby 'one you don’t want to miss'
- Published

The Republic of Ireland opened their Nations League campaign with a 3-0 victory over Northern Ireland in Dublin
Women's Nations League: Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland |
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Venue: Windsor Park, Belfast Date: Tuesday, 5 December Kick-off: 18:00 GMT |
Coverage: Live on BBC Two NI & BBC iPlayer; live text commentary and match report on the BBC Sport website |
Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe says Tuesday's Women's Nations League match against Northern Ireland is "one you don't want to miss".
The sides will meet at Windsor Park to conclude their respective Group B1 campaigns.
The unbeaten Republic have already topped the group; however, the home side need a win to secure second place.
"It's a derby at the end of the day, isn't it? So for sure they're going to come at us," Arsenal's McCabe said.
Ahead of a historic game in Belfast, McCabe says the match being played at the home of Northern Irish football is "really exciting". The senior women's team traditionally play their matches at Crusaders' Seaview stadium in north Belfast.
Northern Ireland have played twice before at the redeveloped Windsor Park, which has a capacity of 18,500, hosting Latvia in 2021 and England in 2022.
The reverse fixture in September, in which the Republic ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, was the first women's international to be played at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
It was also Northern Ireland's first match under new manager Tanya Oxtoby and the hosts will head into the derby after a 4-0 win in Albania on Friday.
"It's a massive incentive for them," added McCabe, assessing how the hosts will relish playing at Windsor Park. "Of course, we want to look to win as well so it's going to be a fantastic game.
"They've got a really good squad and a good manager has come in. She's got a lot of experience and you can see how they have progressed over the Nations League campaign."
McCabe, 28, notes that Northern Ireland have "exciting players" who she has "battled with over the years".
On the in-form Northern Irish and Aston Villa striker Simone Magill, who scored twice against Albania, McCabe added: "She'll be wanting to make sure she's doing that [scoring] again against us on Tuesday and it's our job to stop that.
"They're obviously a really good team and they're defensively disciplined. They make it tough for us."