For the second successive edition, Armenia and Latvia will face off in League C of the UEFA Nations League (UNL) with the Armenians looking to repeat the result from matchday one of the previous edition.
Match News and Current Form
After missing out on another World Cup, Armenia’s last competitive outing was in June where they drew both of their friendlies 1-1. That extended their winless streak to seven games (D2, L5), leaving head coach Yeghishe Melikyan facing significant challenges as he looks to improve upon last cycle’s record of five losses from eight matches (W2, D1), which saw them neither promoted nor relegated for the first time in their history. That previous campaign saw them finish second in the group (W2, D1, L3) before losing to Georgia 9-1 on aggregate in the promotion play-offs. A 4-1 victory at home to Latvia on matchday one could be their only source of inspiration, having won only one of nine home games since then (D2, L6).
Latvia barely managed to stay in League C after finishing bottom of their group (W1, D1, L4), retaining their status with a 2-0 aggregate play-offs win over Gibraltar. This is their second consecutive presence in League C after spending the first three editions in League D, and they need to improve upon recent performances to have any hope of securing promotion. Goalscoring remains a concern, as Latvia managed just four in their group stage of the last Nations League edition, and with goals scored in only half of their last ten games, Latvia’s attacking struggles have long persisted. Paolo Nicolato’s men have at least been tough to conquer on the road in this tournament, losing just three of their last 12 away UNL matches (W3, D6).
Head-to-Head History
Armenia have three wins from the last four H2Hs (L1) including both games played in the 2024/25 UNL.
Hot Stats and Streaks
Armenia conceded 2+ goals in ten of their last 13 UNL matches.
Only three of Armenia’s last 11 home UNL matches saw both teams score.
Latvia scored 2+ goals in one of their last 27 games (2-2 v Andorra).
Only two of Latvia’s last seven UNL matches saw both teams score.
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
Eduard Spertsyan seems to come to life after the break. His last goal in Armenian colours helped them come from behind to draw 1-1 against Kazakhstan in June, and his two goals against Latvia in the previous UNL both came in the second half. Vladislavs Gutkovskis is an away specialist for Latvia with 11 of his 14 national goals coming on the road, including against Gibraltar in their last away UNL fixture.
Both teams have no injury concerns after the squads reported to training unscathed.
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Betting Analysis
Going by how these sides have been scoring lately, goals could be in low supply here, making under 2.5 goals a possibility.
Author: Sridhar Bhamidi