Glentoran vs The New Saints Prediction: 24 June 2026 International Club Friendly Preview

This is a cross-border British Isles friendly that carries more weight than the scoreline alone will suggest. Glentoran, one of Belfast’s most storied clubs, host The New Saints at The Oval on June 24 — and the gap between these two sides in terms of current form is hard to ignore. The New Saints arrive from Wales sitting on an 85% win rate across 13 matches this year, which is a number Glentoran simply cannot match at the moment. Glentoran have managed 13 wins from 23 attempts in 2026, a decent return, but their recent form has dipped at the worst time: one match played in the last 30 days, and it ended in defeat. The New Saints, by contrast, haven’t played in that window at all — they come in fresh. One interesting angle here is that Glentoran already faced Caernarfon in this friendly tournament and lost 1-2, while The New Saints beat that exact same Caernarfon side 4-0. That shared opponent tells a clear story about the level difference right now.

Keep an eye on The New Saints’ attacking structure as a unit rather than any single player in isolation — their ability to dismantle Caernarfon and Connahs Quay in recent weeks shows a team that presses with purpose and finishes efficiently. For Glentoran, the player most likely to disrupt that rhythm is whoever lines up centrally in midfield under Declan Devine’s setup, given that Glentoran’s best results this year have come when they’ve controlled the middle third. The New Saints’ manager Craig Harrison has built a side that punishes passive defending, so Glentoran’s shape off the ball will matter enormously.

Hot stat: The New Saints beat Caernarfon 4-0 in their most recent meeting — the same Caernarfon side that beat Glentoran 1-2 in this very tournament just days ago. That head-to-head comparison with a common opponent is about as direct a performance benchmark as you’ll find in pre-season football.

Glentoran vs The New Saints Prediction

We think The New Saints win here, and honestly it’s not a particularly difficult call. Their form across 2026 has been dominant — 11 wins from 13 matches — and the Caernarfon comparison only reinforces the gap. Glentoran are at home, which counts for something emotionally, but home advantage in a June friendly at The Oval doesn’t carry the same weight as a competitive fixture would. Glentoran’s recent form reads wlwwwdwwddwwdll from left to right, meaning their last two results before this match were losses. That’s a concerning run of form heading into a game against a side this sharp.

The New Saints’ form string reads wlwwwwwwlwwlwww — that’s 11 wins in their last 15. The single blip against Colwyn Bay (a 0-2 defeat) looks like an outlier rather than a trend. Their wins over Connahs Quay and Barry show they can grind out results against physical, direct opponents too, not just open sides. Glentoran did beat Cliftonville and Dungannon in recent weeks, so they’re not without quality, but those are Northern Irish league opponents. The New Saints operate at a higher consistent level right now.

On the style front, without granular five-match stat data available for either side, we can draw on their broader patterns. Glentoran under Devine tend to be physical and direct, which can generate fouls in dangerous areas and yellow cards in tight moments. The New Saints under Harrison prefer a more structured, possession-oriented approach — which in a friendly context likely means they’ll control tempo and create from sustained pressure rather than set pieces. That stylistic contrast could mean fewer cards than a competitive match, but Glentoran’s physicality might lead to a foul count that opens up free kick opportunities for TNS.

Team Analysis

Glentoran’s 2026 has been a story of inconsistency. The season-long 57% win rate isn’t bad for a Northern Irish club competing at this level, but the dip in late form is what stands out. Their last competitive match before this friendly was a 1-2 loss to Caernarfon — a Welsh side ranked well below The New Saints — which is a red flag. Before that, a 2-6 hammering by Coleraine in April suggested defensive fragility remains a problem that Declan Devine hasn’t fully solved. The wins over Dungannon (5-0) and Cliftonville (2-1) showed they can be effective going forward, but those results came against opponents with poor recent form. Glentoran’s form string ends in back-to-back losses, and this match against a higher-quality opponent doesn’t look like the ideal fixture to arrest that slide.

The New Saints come in with a very different energy. Their last match was a 1-0 win over Barry — compact, professional, nothing flashy, just three points. Before that, a 2-1 win over Connahs Quay showed they can handle Welsh Premier League pressure. The 4-0 dismantling of Caernarfon is probably their most relevant recent result given the shared opponent context. Their one defeat in recent memory came against Colwyn Bay (0-2) in a result that looked like a rotation game more than anything else. The form string overall is excellent. Craig Harrison’s side look like a team that knows exactly what it wants to do in the final third, and they’ve been clinical enough to back it up consistently across 2026.

Most Recent Head-to-Head Matches

There is limited publicly available head-to-head data between these two sides from recent seasons, given they play in different national leagues. The table below reflects the most recent direct encounter stats where available.

🚨Check out our dedicated Glentoran vs The New Saints stats page for more info.

Pre-game Odds and Win Probability: The New Saints the Favourite

No bookmaker odds were available at the time of writing for this fixture. Given the form differential and the ranking gap between the two clubs, The New Saints would be expected to open as clear favourites if lines become available. Glentoran’s home advantage at The Oval adds some value to the draw or home win markets, but based on everything we’ve seen from both sides in 2026, the away win looks like the most logical outcome. We’d expect The New Saints to be priced somewhere in the 1.50–1.80 range if odds emerge, with Glentoran likely sitting around 4.00–5.00 and the draw somewhere in the 3.50 region.

• Moneyline Glentoran N/A | The New Saints N/A
• Draw N/A
• Over/Under Over 2.5 N/A | Under 2.5 N/A
• BTTS (both teams to score) Yes N/A | No N/A

If odds do surface before kickoff, the value play based on current form would be The New Saints win and over 2.5 goals as a combined market. Glentoran have shown they can score — five against Dungannon being the standout — but they’ve also shipped six against Coleraine and two against Caernarfon recently. TNS are capable of exploiting that kind of defensive inconsistency.

Possible Starting Lineups

Glentoran Possible Starting Eleven

Player-level appearance data for Glentoran’s latest five matches was not available in our dataset at the time of writing. Based on Declan Devine’s known squad depth and typical selections in 2025/26, a probable lineup would look something like this, likely in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 shape:

Devine will likely set up in a mid-block shape, looking to use direct balls in behind The New Saints’ defensive line. Jay Donnelly is the player most capable of causing problems with his movement, and if Glentoran are going to get anything from this match, he’ll probably be central to it. The midfield pairing will need to work hard to limit TNS’s ability to recycle possession through the thirds.

The New Saints Possible Starting Eleven

Similarly, granular lineup data for The New Saints’ most recent five matches was unavailable in our dataset. Based on Craig Harrison’s established squad and the club’s typical selection patterns, a probable XI in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 would be:

The New Saints’ wide players are the ones to watch — their width creates the overloads that lead to the kind of goal tallies we’ve seen against Caernarfon. Routledge in central midfield is the engine of their build-up play, and if he gets time on the ball, Glentoran will be chasing shadows for long stretches. Harrison will likely rotate a few players given the friendly context, but the starting core should remain competitive.

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TipsGG Match Prediction

The New Saints are the better side right now. The numbers across 2026 say it plainly — 85% win rate, strong results against quality Welsh opposition, and a common opponent benchmark that points firmly in their direction. Glentoran at The Oval will make it uncomfortable early, maybe even competitive for the first 20 or 30 minutes, but The New Saints have the quality to wear that down and find the net. We’re backing a The New Saints win, probably by a two-goal margin, with goals coming from their wide forwards exploiting Glentoran’s defensive gaps that have been visible all season. The “to win to nil” market is genuinely interesting here given Glentoran’s recent form and The New Saints’ defensive organisation. It’s a friendly, so neither result nor scoreline is everything — but the directional bet is clear.

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