Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Nations League match.
Even without considering the suspended encounter against the Kosovo national team (0:0), Romania remain the leaders of the group. A win against Cyprus will be enough for the Romanian side to secure promotion to League B—the primary goal they have pursued throughout the group stage.
Romania
Before the match with Kosovo in Bucharest, Romania had secured four consecutive victories with an aggregate score of 11:2. Their away game with Cyprus (3:0) was not a significant challenge for the group favourites, as they were three goals ahead by the 35th minute and generated 2.14 xG with 19 shots. The suspension of Dennis Man due to yellow card accumulation poses a problem for the coaching staff, but in his absence, Nicolae Stanciu, Valentin Mihăilă, and Denis Drăguș are expected to step up and deliver more impactful performances.
Cyprus
Similarly to their next opponents, the Cyprus national team have achieved their main tournament objectives. They managed to overcome Lithuania in both head-to-head encounters (1:0 and 2:1), thereby retaining their spot in League C. However, at home, they allowed 11 shots and were close to missing out on victory. For the sixth round, Nikolas Ioannou and Grigoris Kastanos are suspended and will have to be replaced by less experienced substitutes.
Romania vs Cyprus Prediction
On home soil, Romania are expected to defeat Cyprus once again, and this time in an emphatic manner. Our choice is the individual total for the hosts.
