Seeking to win their third successive UEFA Nations League match, Romania travel to Larnaca to face Cyprus at the AEK Arena on Saturday night.
While the visitors sit top of League C Group 2 with a maximum six points from their opening two games, the hosts are three points further back in third spot.
Match preview
© Imago
After picking up five points from six matches in the previous Nations League campaign to narrowly avoid entering a relegation playoff, Cyprus kick-started the new campaign with a slender 1-0 away victory over Lithuania last month.
However, the Cypriots were brought back down to earth just three days later when they were put to the sword 4-0 by Kosovo on home soil, and head coach Temur Ketsbaia was relieved of his duties as a result.
Sofronis Avgousti has since been appointed as the new boss of Cyprus after he decided to leave his role in charge of Karmiotissa having been in the dugout for just four competitive matches since taking the reins in July.
Described as "the most successful Cypriot coach in recent years" by the Cyprus Football Association, Avgousti will be keen to hit the ground running and steer his new side to their first win over Romania since March 2010.
However, Cyprus - ranked 123rd in the world by FIFA - have lost each of their last five competitive home matches by an aggregate score of 16-1 and come up against a Romania outfit on Saturday who have scored six goals in their opening two victories in the Nations League.
Two months after losing 3-0 to Netherlands in the last 16 of Euro 2024, Romania secured a 3-0 away victory over Kosovo in their Nations League opener before leaving it late to beat Lithuania 3-1 on home soil, scoring in the 87th and 92nd minutes to claim maximum points.
Indeed, Romania have had plenty to smile about since 79-year-old head coach Mircea Lucescu replaced Edward Iordanescu in the summer, returning to manage the national team a whopping 38 years after his first spell in charge.
Ranked 45th in the world by FIFA, the Tricolour have not lost any of their last seven qualification matches across all competitions away from home and can strengthen their grip on top spot in League C Group 2 with a victory over Cyprus on Saturday, before travelling to Lithuania next Tuesday.
Team News
© Imago
Cyprus attacker Ioannis Pittas has been a standout performer at club level with Swedish outfit AIK, scoring 14 goals in 26 league games in 2024, and he is expected to lead the line this weekend, with Marinos Tzionis and either Pieros Sotiriou or Grigoris Kastanos potentially providing support in the final third.
Andreas Karo, Alex Gogic and Hector Kyprianou are all set to continue in a three-man defence, protecting goalkeeper Joel Mall, with Minas Antoniou and Nicholas Ioannou in contention to start as wing-backs.
As for Romania, FCSB midfielder Adrian Sut has withdrawn from the squad due to injury, but goalkeeper Horatiu Moldovan has been selected after returning to full fitness and is set to battle with Florin Nita for a start between the sticks.
Razvan Marin has scored two penalties in as many Nations League matches and is expected to continue in midfield, while the likes of Nicolae Stanciu, Denis Dragus and Tottenham Hotspur's Radu Dragusin are all set to retain their places in the first XI.
Cyprus possible starting lineup:
Mall; Karo, Gogic, Kyprianou; Antoniou, Kastanos, Kousoulos, Ioannou; Tzionis; Sotiriou, Pittas
Romania possible starting lineup:
Nita; Ratiu, Dragusin, Burca, Bancu; R. Marin, M. Marin, Stanciu; Man, Dragus, Mihaila
We say: Cyprus 0-2 Romania
Romania have made an impressive start to life under Lucescu, albeit against opposition that they were expected to beat, and they will be regarded as favourites to come out on top once again this weekend.
Cyprus have struggled defensively for some time, keeping just two clean sheets in their last 19 international matches, and it is difficult to envisage the hosts keeping the Tricolour quiet in front of goal on this occasion.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
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