Sports Mole previews Tuesday’s Nations League clash between Lithuania and Romania, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Having stormed clear at the top of League C Group 2, leaders Romania will visit last-placed Lithuania in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday.
The Tricolorii head to Kaunas fresh from a third straight win, while their rock-bottom hosts have yet to pick up a single point.
Match preview
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After maintaining their perfect Group 2 record at the weekend, Romania sit top of the table with a tally of nine points so far, putting them firmly on course for promotion to Europe’s second tier.
In September, not long after their Euro 2024 adventure had ended at the first knockout stage, the Tricolorii swept past Kosovo and Lithuania – scoring three goals on both occasions – and normal service resumed on Saturday evening.
Serie A stars Dennis Man and Razvan Marin put the visitors two up against Cyprus in Larnaca, before Tottenham Hotspur defender Radu Dragusin sealed a 3-0 win before half time.
Since veteran coach Mircea Lucescu replaced Edward Iordanescu in the summer – sitting back into the national-team hotseat some 38 years after his first spell in charge – Romania have continued their recent progress.
Occupying 45th place in FIFA’s latest world rankings, they have followed up a seven-match unbeaten streak in away qualifiers by winning twice on the road in this year’s Nations League.
Now seeking another three-point haul on their travels, Romania will most definitely have history on their side: they have won all of their last six meetings with Lithuania, dating back to a World Cup qualifying clash in 2008.
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Lithuania’s most recent defeat in that sequence was last month’s 3-1 loss in Bucharest, from which they could have picked up a point, only to be denied when their hosts struck twice in the closing stages.
After narrowly avoiding relegation from League C in the 2022-23 Nations League – via a playoff win over Gibraltar – the Trispalves are facing another battle to survive the drop this season, following losses in each of their first three fixtures.
Having sandwiched that reverse to Romania with an opening defeat against Cyprus and Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Kosovo, a squad overseen by national team legend Edgaras Jankauskas are rock bottom of Group 2 at the halfway stage.
Like Lucescu, the former Porto striker is back for a second spell in charge of his country, but he has produced only four wins from 17 matches since being reappointed in January of last year.
Situated 94 places below their Romanian rivals in FIFA’s global pecking order – making them the eighth-lowest ranked nation in Europe – Lithuania could therefore be bound for demotion to League D.
Lithuania Nations League form:
Lithuania form (all competitions):
Romania Nations League form:
Romania form (all competitions):
Team News
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Mircea Lucescu seems to have settled on his favoured formation and personnel, with Trabzonspor striker Denis Dragus spearheading a 4-3-3 setup, but he may be tempted to rotate Romania’s squad against more modest opposition.
Otherwise, the visitors’ midfield trio will again feature set-piece specialist Razvan Marin, who has now scored three penalties in as many Nations League matches, alongside Marius Marin and captain Nicolae Stanciu.
Veteran goalkeeper Florin Nita – a teammate of Stanciu’s at Saudi Pro League club Damac – should keep his place between the posts, but Horatiu Moldovan and Stefan Tarnovanu have both been handed opportunities of late.
Meanwhile, Lithuania are expected to keep faith with Armandas Kucys in attack, even if his supporting cast slightly changes.
Paulius Golubickas scored as a substitute last time out, while 94-cap forward Fedor Cernych has netted more international goals (15) than anyone else in the hosts’ squad, and both will be pushing for promotion from the bench.
Goalkeeper Edvinas Gertmonas is set to meet up with some familiar faces, as he represents Universitatea Cluj in Romania’s SuperLiga.
Lithuania possible starting lineup:
Gertmonas; Sirvys, Kazukolovas, Girdvainis, Tutyskinas; Vorobjovas, Gineitis; Dolznikov, Slivka, Cernych; Kucys
Romania possible starting lineup:
Nita; Ratiu, Dragusin, Burca, Bancu; R. Marin, M. Marin, Stanciu; Man, Dragus, Mihaila
We say: Lithuania 0-2 Romania
A class above their opponents at League C level, an ascendant Romania side should prolong their 100% record at Lithuania’s expense.
While the visitors may be bound for League B when the group phase wraps up next month, their ailing hosts are set to stay pointless with just two games to go.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.