Faroe Islands v Northern Ireland background

The Faroe Islands are in positive mood as they welcome Northern Ireland, who will be eager for three UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying points, with their main Group F rivals Hungary and Romania meeting elsewhere.

Previous meetings
• Gareth McAuley and Kyle Lafferty scored, and Roy Carroll saved a Fródi Benjaminsen penalty, as Northern Ireland beat the Faroe Islands 2-0 in their first Group F meeting in October 2014.

• The Faroes' record in five games against Northern Ireland is W0 D2 L3 (W0 D1 L1 at home – W0 D1 L2 in Belfast). However, that 5-0 'home' defeat was played in Landskrona, Sweden, with their only actual encounter in the Faroe Islands a 1-1 draw in Toftir, Kyle Lafferty (76) replying to a strike from Christian Holst (60).

Disciplinary
• Atli Gregersen is absent through suspension. Fródi Benjaminsen and Brandur Olsen are both a booking away from a one-game ban.

• Northern Ireland midfielder Chris Brunt and forward Kyle Lafferty are a yellow card away from a suspension.

Form guide
• The Faroe Islands completed a Group F double with a 2-1 home success over Greece in their last qualifier in June. Their 1-0 win in Greece earlier in the campaign marked their only clean sheet in their last 19 competitive matches.

• The Faroes' best-ever defensive performance over the course of a campaign was in qualifying for UEFA EURO 2000, where they conceded 17 times in ten fixtures – an average of 1.7 per game. At the moment, they are conceding at a rate of 1.33 a match.

• Northern Ireland have won two of their three Group F away fixtures to date – two more than they managed in FIFA World Cup qualification.

• Northern Ireland have not won as many away games in a qualifying campaign since conjuring three victories in qualifying for EURO '96.

Trivia and links
• The Faroe Islands Football Association (FSF) said tickets for the Northern Ireland match sold out in an unprecedented 16 hours in the wake of the national team's 2-1 home triumph over Greece in June.

• Northern Ireland goalkeeping coach Maik Taylor – who was listed as an emergency reserve goalkeeper earlier in the qualifying programme – turns 44 the day of the Faroe Islands trip.

• In UEFA age-group competitions, Northern Ireland's record in five games against the Faroe Islands is W4 D1 L0 – with no goals shipped. The countries' Under-19 sides meet for the first time on 14 October 2015.

• The four encounters between the nations' clubs in UEFA competitions have left the Northern Irish representatives with the record W2 D2 L0 – and again, no goals conceded. Linfield were taken to penalties by B36 Tórshavn in the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League first qualifying round, but the Belfast outfit prevailed 4-3, and then overcame ÍF Fuglafjørdur 5-0 on aggregate in the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round.