In the third round of the UEFA Nations League group stage, Lithuania will host Kosovo in Kaunas on Saturday. Here’s the match prediction from the 24hscore expert team.
Lithuania
The Lithuanian national team continues to face challenges on the international front, lacking significant accomplishments. In their last Euro qualifying campaign, Lithuania secured a 2-0 away victory against Bulgaria, but it wasn’t enough to qualify for a major tournament. They ended up falling short of the group leaders by at least eight points and failed once again to qualify for a prestigious competition.
This summer, Lithuania participated in the Baltic Cup, where under coach Edgaras Jankauskas, they defeated Latvia 2-0 in the semifinals but lost to Estonia in the final on penalties. Their UEFA Nations League campaign has been similarly tough: Lithuania lost 0-1 at home to Cyprus in their opening match, followed by a 1-3 defeat against the group favorites, Romania.
Kosovo
Kosovo has also experienced difficulties following a lackluster performance in the Euro 2024 qualifiers. Their form has notably declined compared to four years ago when they reached the Euro 2020 qualification playoffs. In the latest campaign, Kosovo finished fifth in their group, even behind Belarus.
In response, the Football Federation appointed a new head coach, Franco Foda. His debut saw Kosovo achieve a narrow victory over Armenia, but they followed it up with a loss to Hungary. In the UEFA Nations League, Kosovo began with a 0-3 defeat at home to Romania but rebounded strongly with a 4-0 away victory against Cyprus in their next match.
Interesting Facts and Head-to-Head History
- Previous Match: Lithuania and Kosovo faced each other once in March 2021, with Kosovo winning 4-0.
- Recent Form: Lithuania is winless in their last three matches. Kosovo recently bounced back with a 4-0 win against Cyprus.
- Scoring Trends: In Kosovo’s last five games, only one team has scored in each match. Lithuania has had “Both Teams to Score” in two of their last five matches.
- Coaching Changes: Kosovo has a new coach, Franco Foda, aiming to improve their performance, while Lithuania is led by Edgaras Jankauskas.
- Home Advantage: Lithuania will play at home in Kaunas, but they have struggled in recent home games.
Probable Lineups
Lithuania:
- Gertmonas
- Sirvys
- Girdvainis
- Lekitas
- Tytuskinas
- Lasicas
- Matulevicius
- Slivka
- Vorobjovas
- Dolzhnikov
- Kucis
Kosovo:
- Bekaj
- Hadergjonaj
- Rrahmani
- Aliti
- Rudhani
- Rexhbecaj
- Emerllahu
- Berisha
- Rashica
- Muriqi
- Krasniqi
Prediction
Kosovo appears to be the clear favorite in this matchup. Bookmakers offer odds of 1.85 for an away win, making it an attractive betting option.
