Predictions Nations League - Lithuania vs Romania

Nations League - Lithuania vs Romania
Match Time: 16-10-2024 01:45 Wednesday (GMT+7)
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After maintaining their perfect Group 2 record at the weekend, Romania sit top of the table with a tally of nine points so far, putting them firmly on course for promotion to Europe's second tier.

In September, not long after their Euro 2024 adventure had ended at the first knockout stage, the Tricolorii swept past Kosovo and Lithuania - scoring three goals on both occasions - and normal service resumed on Saturday evening.

Serie A stars Dennis Man and Razvan Marin put the visitors two up against Cyprus in Larnaca, before Tottenham Hotspur defender Radu Dragusin sealed a 3-0 win before half time.

Since veteran coach Mircea Lucescu replaced Edward Iordanescu in the summer - sitting back into the national-team hotseat some 38 years after his first spell in charge - Romania have continued their recent progress.

Occupying 45th place in FIFA's latest world rankings, they have followed up a seven-match unbeaten streak in away qualifiers by winning twice on the road in this year's Nations League.

Now seeking another three-point haul on their travels, Romania will most definitely have history on their side: they have won all of their last six meetings with Lithuania, dating back to a World Cup qualifying clash in 2008.

Lithuania's most recent defeat in that sequence was last month's 3-1 loss in Bucharest, from which they could have picked up a point, only to be denied when their hosts struck twice in the closing stages.

After narrowly avoiding relegation from League C in the 2022-23 Nations League - via a playoff win over Gibraltar - the Trispalves are facing another battle to survive the drop this season, following losses in each of their first three fixtures.

Having sandwiched that reverse to Romania with an opening defeat against Cyprus and Saturday's 2-1 loss to Kosovo, a squad overseen by national team legend Edgaras Jankauskas are rock bottom of Group 2 at the halfway stage.

Like Lucescu, the former Porto striker is back for a second spell in charge of his country, but he has produced only four wins from 17 matches since being reappointed in January of last year.

Situated 94 places below their Romanian rivals in FIFA's global pecking order - making them the eighth-lowest ranked nation in Europe - Lithuania could therefore be bound for demotion to League D.

Prediction: Lithuania 0-2 Romania