Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the UEFA Nations League match.
A balanced group with one clear favourite means both Lithuania and Cyprus need to actively gather points from the very first round. Kosovo may also join the fight to stay in the league, but Romania have a strong chance of returning to League B.
Lithuania
In their Euro 2024 qualification campaign, Lithuania fell far short of reaching the final tournament. The team managed to score eight goals in eight matches—only Bulgaria scored fewer in the group (7). In March, the Baltic side edged out Gibraltar twice (both 1:0) in the Nations League play-outs, and then participated in a friendly tournament, beating Latvia (2:0) and losing to Estonia (1:2 after a penalty shootout). It's worth noting that all of Lithuania's matches since last November have gone under 2.5 total (seven games in a row).
Cyprus
Cyprus perform better in attack against strong opponents but tend to play defensively against teams of similar level. For instance, in March, they managed just three shots on target combined in matches against Latvia (1:1) and Serbia (0:1). Under the coaching staff led by Temus Ketsbaia, they usually operate in a 3-5-2 formation, with wing players dropping back to bolster the defence.
Lithuania - Cyprus Prediction
In November 2023, Lithuania and Cyprus played a friendly in Kolossi, where the hosts secured a narrow victory (1:0). It is evident that a similar match with minimal dangerous episodes can be expected in Kaunas.
