Institute vs Rathfriland: prediction and stats
ChampionshipRegular Season - 20Kick-off on December 12, 2026 at 03:00 PM (UTC)The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Londonderry
The Footlab model makes Institute the favourite at 47%, against 25% for a draw and 29% for Rathfriland. The most likely score is 1-1.
This model is measured at 53.9% 1X2 accuracy on a temporal hold-out, against 33.3% for random guessing. See the measured accuracy
Probabilities recomputed on Aug 25, 2026 — the full match card is recomputed continuously until kick-off.
Who will win Institute vs Rathfriland?
A very open match: only 51 Elo points separate Institute (1,357) and Rathfriland (1,306).
What is the recent form of both teams?
Over their last 15 matches in all competitions, Institute have 8 wins, 2 draws and 5 defeats; Rathfriland have 6, 0 and 9.
The competition is shown for every match: in pre-season, several of these games are friendlies.
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 2026 | Queen's University(away) | 1-4 | Championship |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Loughgall(home) | 0-0 | Championship |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Ballinamallard United(home) | 1-2 | Championship |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Strabane Athletic(away) | 1-0 | Championship |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Limavady United(away) | 1-2 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 2026 | Newington Youth(away) | 0-4 | Championship |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Newry City AFC(home) | 1-2 | Championship |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Annagh United(away) | 2-4 | Championship |
| Aug 8, 2026 | Loughgall(home) | 1-3 | Championship |
| May 1, 2026 | Knockbreda(away) | 4-0 | Premier Intermediate League |
How many goals should we expect?
Institute score 1.6 and concede 1.1 goals per match over their last 15; Rathfriland score 1.6 and concede 1.9. The model gives a 59% probability of over 2.5 goals and 61% for both teams to score.
| Club | Goals scored / match | Goals conceded / match | Clean sheets | Both teams scored | Over 2.5 goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institute | 1.6 | 1.1 | 5 | 9/15 | 10/15 |
| Rathfriland | 1.6 | 1.9 | 3 | 9/15 | 11/15 |
Over the last 15 matches in all competitions.
Where do both teams sit in the table?
Institute sit 12th in Championship (4 points from 4 matches) and Rathfriland sit 16th (0 points from 4 matches).
| # | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Institute | 33 | 13 | 7 | 13 | 47 | 43 | 46 |
| 7 | Institute | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 59 | 46 | 59 |
| 12 | Institute | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| 16 | Rathfriland | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 0 |
Verdict, probable XI and verified absences
The full match card recomputes this prediction continuously until kick-off: multi-market verdict, player-by-player probable XI and web-verified absences.
Open the full match card in the app
No odds, no affiliation: the method is published and the accuracy is measured.
How does Footlab compute this prediction?
The model combines both teams' Elo ratings (anchored by competition pool), their recent form weighted by opponent strength, home advantage and a Poisson matrix for scorelines. Its accuracy is measured continuously on the predictions actually published. Methodology and measured accuracy
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the favourite for Institute vs Rathfriland?
- The Footlab model makes Institute the favourite at 47%, against 25% for a draw and 29% for Rathfriland.
- Where and when is Institute vs Rathfriland played?
- Institute vs Rathfriland is played on December 12, 2026 at 03:00 PM (UTC) at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, in the Championship.
- Will there be over 2.5 goals?
- The Footlab model gives a 59% probability of at least three goals in this match.
- How reliable is this prediction?
- The Footlab model is measured at 53.9% correct 1X2 outcomes on a temporal hold-out, against 33.3% for random guessing. The breakdown by competition and Elo gap is published on the accuracy page.