Saturday Friendly Clash: Moldova vs. Cyprus – Match Preview
Moldova and Cyprus are set to go head-to-head in a friendly match at Stadionul Zimbru, marking their first encounter in the current international window. The last time these two nations faced off was in August 2011, where Cyprus emerged victorious with a 3-2 win in a friendly encounter.
Match Preview:
Moldova, aiming for their first major tournament appearance, fell short in Euro 2024 qualifying despite a competitive performance in Group E. With two wins, four draws, and two losses in the qualifiers, they finished fourth, four points behind the top two spots. In their recent friendlies, Moldova drew 1-1 with North Macedonia and secured a 4-0 victory over the Cayman Islands.
On the other hand, Cyprus also failed to make an impact in Euro 2024 qualifying, losing all eight qualifiers and finishing at the bottom of their group. They conceded 28 goals and scored only three times during the qualifiers. Despite a narrow win against Lithuania, Cyprus struggled in their recent matches, drawing 1-1 with Latvia and losing 1-0 to Serbia.
Team News:
Moldova is likely to start with Dorian Railean in goal, while Cyprus is set to feature Joel Mall between the posts. Moldova’s Nicolaescu will be a key player in attack, while Cyprus will look to forward Ioannis Pittas for goals.
Possible Lineups:
Moldova: Railean; Craciun, Mudrac, Posmac; Cojocaru, Baboglo, Rata, Reabciuk; Motpan, Ionita; Nicolaescu
Cyprus: Mall; Karo, Gogic, Laifis; Andreou, Kousoulos, Charalampous, Kypriakou, Correia; Loizou, Pittas
Prediction:
We predict a 1-1 draw between Moldova and Cyprus, with both teams aiming to secure a positive result in this friendly clash.
For more in-depth analysis, predictions, and scorelines for this match, click here.