Third travels to fourth in Tuesday's UEFA Nations League contest at the Skonto Stadium in Riga, where Latvia host the Faroe Islands in League C Group 4.
Paolo Nicolato's team were thumped 4-1 by Armenia in their inaugural match of the 2024-25 edition, while their visitors held North Macedonia to a 1-1 draw in a tale of two penalties.
Match preview
© Imago
Making their debut in the third tier of the Nations League after three years in the League D doldrums, Latvia were given a rude awakening and then some against Armenia, who broke the deadlock just six minutes into their showdown on Saturday thanks to Vahan Bichakhchyan's effort.
Armenia defender Georgiy Harutyunyan then inadvertently offered Nicolato's team a helping hand by turning the ball past his own goalkeeper three moments later, but Latvia's Kaspars Dubra also caught the own goal bug before Lucas Zelarayan and Eduard Spertsyan saw out an Armenian annihilation.
Latvia's 4-1 beatdown in Yerevan prolonged a forgettable 2024 for the 11 Wolves, who also finished outside of the top two in the Baltic Cup for the first time since 1996 in the summer, having once again failed to qualify for the European Championships 20 years on from their first appearance as an independent nation.
Nicolato - a former Italy youth coach who only took the reins in February - has just one victory to show from his first five matches in charge of Latvia, who have also been held to low-scoring draws by Cyprus and Liechtenstein, who recently lost to perennial whipping boys San Marino, under his wing.
However, Latvia's only success during the Nicolato era so far coincidentally came against none other than the Faroe Islands, whom they overcame 1-0 in the Baltic Cup third-placed playoff to avoid a first-ever fourth-placed finish at the biennial competition.
© Imago
Out for revenge as well as a precious three points in Tuesday's affair, the Faroe Islands' Nations League opener with North Macedonia was their first engagement since June's narrow loss to Latvia, and Hakan Ericson's men came into the encounter as huge underdogs against the Euro 2020 competitors.
In the end, the North Macedonians needed a penalty from Enis Bardhi to rescue a point after Viljormur Davidsen had drawn first blood with his own successful spot kick, as the Faroe Islands stole a highly creditable point off a side ranked 66 places higher than them.
However, on account of the away goals tie-breaker, Tuesday's visitors are trailing second-placed North Macedonia in the League C Group 4 standings in third spot, which is not sufficient for a potential promotion nor relegation to the Nations League basement.
While hosts Latvia had never competed outside League D prior to 2024-25, the Faroe Islands are enjoying their second straight campaign of third-tier football, having comfortably retained their League C status in 2022-23 with eight points from their six fixtures.
Failure to cling onto their advantage at the weekend means that it is just one win from 17 for the National Team, though, and even that was against little Liechtenstein, but they had gone unbeaten in their first five meetings with Latvia before June's Baltic Cup disappointment.
Team News
© Imago
Latvia almost came through their heavy loss to Armenia unscathed on the physical front, but playmaker Janis Ikaunieks - the highest active scorer in the 11 Wolves ranks with 12 goals to his name - was forcibly withdrawn in the 82nd minute.
It is unclear how severe the 29-year-old's problem is, but the hosts have a like-for-like replacement in the shape of Renars Varslavans, who should now act as the creative focal point in a 3-4-1-2 shape.
A young team should be captained by 23-year-old defender Kristers Tobers, while Dubra was hooked for Daniels Balodis after his own goal at the weekend and could now make way for his fellow centre-back, even at the risk of severely knocking his confidence.
The Faroe Islands, meanwhile, were not forced into any premature changes in their draw with North Macedonia; centre-back Samuel Chukwudi only lasted until half time, but that was seemingly a tactical change from Ericson.
Hordur Askham - who replaced Chukwudi for the second half of that fixture - could now come in from the first whistle for the visitors, whose line will be led by a man who coincidentally plays his club football in North Macedonia in Joan Simun Edmundsson.
Latvia possible starting lineup:
Matrevics; Jurkovskis, Balodis, Tobers; Savalnieks, Saveljevs, Vapne, Ciganiks; Varslavans; Gutkovskis, Uldrikis
Faroe Islands possible starting lineup:
Reynatrod; Danielsen, Askham, A. Edmundsson, Davidsen; G. Vatnhamar; Joensen, Sorensen, S. Vatnhamar, Olsen; J. Edumdsson
We say: Latvia 1-0 Faroe Islands
While the Faroe Islands only lost their advantage on Saturday due to a cheap penalty, they were under the cosh for large periods and could have easily been put to the sword on another day.
Facing a hostile atmosphere in Riga, we cannot picture the visitors avenging their Baltic Cup loss to Latvia, who may very well come up trumps by just the one goal once more.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
Portugal
Croatia
Scotland
Poland
France
Italy
Belgium
Israel
Germany
Netherlands
Hungary
Bosnia H'vina
Spain
Denmark
Serbia
Switzerland
Czech Republic
Ukraine
Georgia
Albania
England
Greece
Rep. Ireland
Finland
Norway
Austria
Slovenia
Kazakhstan
Wales
Turkey
Iceland
Montenegro
Sweden
Slovakia
Estonia
Azerbaijan
Romania
Kosovo
Cyprus
Lithuania
N. Ireland
Bulgaria
Belarus
Luxembourg
N. Macedonia
Armenia
Faroe Islands
Latvia
San Marino
Gibraltar
Liechtenstein
Moldova
Malta
Andorra
