Predictions Nations League - Lithuania vs Kosovo

Nations League - Lithuania vs Kosovo
Match Time: 12-10-2024 20:00 Saturday (GMT+7)
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After narrowly avoiding relegation from League C in the previous Nations League campaign, courtesy of a playoff win over Gibraltar, Lithuania are already facing an uphill battle to survive the drop this time around after losing their opening two matches.

A narrow 1-0 home defeat to Cyprus last month was followed three days later by a 3-1 away loss against Romania. Edgaras Jankauskas's were seemingly on course to claim a share of the spoils until Romania scored in the 87th and 92nd minutes to snatch all three points.

Ranked 139th in the world by FIFA - the eighth-lowest ranked nation in Europe - Lithuania have won only four of their last 16 international games since Jankauskas was reappointed head coach in January 2023, losing eight and drawing the remaining four.

Returning to winning ways on Saturday is not a given for Lithuania, who have only come out on top in two of their last 14 home matches across the last three years, while they suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat in their only previous meeting with Kosovo in March 2021.

Like Lithuania, Kosovo were beaten in their opening Nations League fixture, losing 3-0 at home to Romania, but they ended a three-game losing streak without reply by thumping Cyprus 4-0 on the road on matchday two.

A brace from all-time leading goalscorer Vedat Muriqi - who now has 28 international goals to his name - and strikes from Albion Rrahmani and Lumbardh Dellova helped the Dardanians secure their biggest international victory in over two years.

That triumph represents the second victory in five matches across all competitions since the arrival of head coach Franco Foda in February, and Kosovo currently sit second in League C Group 2, three points behind leaders Romania.

Ranked 104th in the world by FIFA, Kosovo are seeking to match or better their efforts in the previous Nations League campaign when they accumulated nine points from six League C matches. Victory on Saturday would take them two-thirds of the way there with three games still remaining, including a clash with Cyprus on home soil next Tuesday.

Prediction: Lithuania 0-2 Kosovo