Luxembourg host Lithuania in League C Group 1 of the UEFA Nations League on Sunday, with the hosts looking to end the campaign in style.

The visitors, meanwhile, suffered relegation to the competition's bottom tier after failing to beat Faroe Islands on Thursday.

Match preview

© Reuters

Having gained promotion from the bottom tier of the Nations League's first instalment, two successive second-placed finishes in League C represents significant progress for Luxembourg as a footballing nation.

However, there will be major disappointment that they head into Sunday's winnable home match against Lithuania with no chance of leapfrogging Turkey into top spot in League C Group 1, after surrounding the lead on three separate occasions against them in a pulsating 3-3 draw in Istanbul on Thursday.

Goals from Marvin da Graca, Daniel Sinani and Gerson Rodrigues provided Luc Holtz's side with a one-goal lead three times over, but Ismail Yuksek's dramatic 87th-minute equaliser ensured that the Turks remained five points ahead of their opponents with only one match remaining.

Having been ranked as low as 195th in the world in August 2008, though, Holtz will not have lost sight of how far his home nation have come since he took over as manager in 2010.

A win against Lithuania on Sunday would move them into double figures in terms of points for the second successive Nations League campaign, and increase confidence of going one step further by gaining promotion to League B next time around.

© Reuters

Lithuania, on the other hand, will be competing against the likes of San Marino and Liechtenstein when the next Nations League campaign rolls around, having had their relegation to the bottom tier confirmed on Thursday.

Reinhold Breu's side needed to beat Faroe Islands to have any chance of catching them and avoiding finishing bottom of League C Group 1, but Rinktine failed to build on Vykintas Slivka's equaliser moments before half-time.

Indeed, the midfielder's strike was Lithuania's only shot on target throughout the entire match, but it did at least ensure that his nation avoided the embarrassment of ending up point-less in the group.

Breu will hope to build on ending a winless run of five matches when they travel to Luxembourg at the weekend. Avoiding defeat at the very least would help them avoid falling below their lowest ever FIFA world ranking of 148th in the world, having slipped to 142nd last month.

Team News

© Reuters

Luxembourg do not appear to have any injury or suspension concerns restricting Holtz's selection on Sunday.

Fabio Lohei and Alessio Curci will hope to make their international debuts at some stage having been unused substitutes against Turkey last time out.

Lithuania, on the other hand, will be without Linas Klimavicius and Justas Lasickas as the duo must serve a one-match suspension after both being booked against Faroe Islands.

Edgaras Utkus does not provide Breu with an option to replace the former, though, as the defender is out for the foreseeable future after he ruptured his cruciate ligament.

Luxembourg possible starting lineup:
Moris; De Graca, Chanot, Jans, Pinto; V. Thill, Barreiro, S. Thill, Sanches; Sinani, Rodrigues

Lithuania possible starting lineup:
Bartkus; Mikoliunas, Satkus, Girdvainis, Barauskas; Slivka, Megelaitis; Dovydaitis, Novikovas, Golubickas; Cernych

We say: Luxembourg 2-0 Lithuania

Despite conceding late on to Turkey on Thursday, Luxembourg should take plenty of confidence from their recent results and end the Nations League campaign on a high.

Lithuania, on the other hand, will surely welcome the end of it, with relegation at least providing them with an opportunity to win more matches next time around.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Brett Curtis

Previews by email