Comments and predictions for Andorra vs Latvia: Return with 3 points
The match between Andorra vs Latvia in the World Cup qualifiers takes place at 1:45 a.m. on March 22. Nghe An Newspaper analyzes performance, makes football comments and predicts the score.
Latest Andorra vs Latvia team information
Iker Alvarez is likely to continue in goal for Andorra, with the back five of Biel Borra, Moises San Nicolas, Christian Garcia, Ian Olivera and Marc Garcia expected to be unchanged from the 0-0 draw with Malta in November.
Albert Rosas and Marc Pujol are the only two players to have scored for Andorra in their last nine games in all competitions, and both are likely to be named in the starting line-up.
On the other side, Latvia will be without Roberts Uldrikis and captain Kristers Tobers for this month's qualifiers due to long-term injuries, while 21-year-old centre-back Niks Sliede has been called up to the senior team for the first time.
In Tobers' absence, Sliede could be handed a chance to start on Friday, with Daniels Balodis and Antonijs Cernomordijs forming a centre-back trio, while Rihards Matrevics will continue to start in goal.
Latest expected lineup for Andorra vs Latvia
Andorra:
Alvarez; Borra, Nicolas, Garcia, Olivera, Garcia; Fernandez, Teixeira, Pujol, Cervos; Rosas
Latvia:
Matrevics; Jurkovskis, Sliede, Cernomordijs, Balodis, Ciganiks; Zelenkovs, Saveljevs, Varslavans; Ikaunieks, Gutkovskis
Latest Andorra vs Latvia football prediction
The Andorran Football Federation was first founded in 1994, but the team was only able to participate in major championships after joining UEFA and FIFA in 1996.
The Tricolours first attempted FIFA World Cup qualification in 2002, having joined too late to qualify in 1998, but have so far failed to reach the World Cup finals in six attempts.
Andorra have won just four of their 62 World Cup qualifying matches across six tournaments, losing 55, although they achieved their best result in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
For the first time in their history, the Tricolours avoided the bottom of the group – they finished fifth, ahead of San Marino – although they still trailed second-placed Poland by a significant 14 points.
While history suggests Andorra have little chance of qualifying, long-time coach Koldo Alvarez and his team can take encouragement from the tweaked qualifying format, which has seen the number of UEFA tournament spots increased from 13 to 16.
The change means there are now 12 groups of four or five teams each, with Andorra set to face Albania, England, Latvia and Serbia in a bid to secure a top-two finish and make history with their first-ever qualification.
However, the Tricolours are on a poor run of form heading into the clash with Latvia, having failed to win a game since a 2-0 win over Liechtenstein in the UEFA Nations League in September 2022.
Latvia also have a favourable record against Andorra, as they are unbeaten in their last 11 encounters, with 7 wins and 4 draws during that period.
The visitors will be keen to extend that unbeaten run when they face each other on Friday, aiming to kick off their qualifying campaign with a win while also aiming to secure their first World Cup appearance.
Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Latvia have participated in eight subsequent qualifying rounds, and they narrowly missed out on qualification in 2010 when they finished third, just three points off the top two.
Unlike the hosts, Latvia have experience playing in major tournaments having qualified for Euro 2004, although they were eliminated in the group stage without a win.
Paolo Nicolato, who was hired in February 2024, will now aim to lead Latvia to a maiden World Cup, and a winning start on Friday could be pivotal to that goal.
The Italian coach has endured a challenging start to life in Latvia, with his side managing just two wins, three draws and five losses in his 10 games in charge, including four without a win just before this match.
Andorra vs Latvia latest score prediction
Based on the above football comments, we and the world's leading football sites have given the results of the match.Andorra vs Latviaas follows:
- Sportsmole:Andorra 0-2 Latvia
- WhoScore:Andorra 1-3 Latvia
- Our newspaper predicts:Andorra 0-2 Latvia
When and where to watch Andorra vs Latvia live?
To watch the live match between Andorra vs Latvia in the World Cup qualifiers taking place at 1:45 a.m. on March 22, viewers can watch onK+ Sport,K+PMor online sports channels. Wish you have fun watching football.
