Latvia vs Malta: Football Previews & Free Football Betting Tips
A basement battle in Group A, with both Latvia and Malta looking at this as one of their few realistic chances of three points in World Cup qualifying. For Latvia, home advantage in Riga means pressure to set the tone, while Malta travel knowing they’ve already proven stubborn in similar contests.
Expect a tense evening with plenty of set-pieces, second balls and energy from both sides. Latvia will likely line up in a compact 4-4-2, trying to keep shape while using quick breaks through wide areas. Malta have leaned on a 4-2-3-1, looking to frustrate and pinch goals from moments of quality or defensive errors.
- Confirmed core group: Pāvels Šteinbors, Kaspars Dubra, Antonijs Černomordijs, Kristers Tobers, Roberts Savaļnieks, Andrejs Cigaņiks, Aleksejs Saveļjevs, Eduards Emsis, Jānis Ikaunieks, Roberts Uldriķis, Vladislavs Gutkovskis, Raimonds Krollis.
- Absentees: No major fresh injuries publicly flagged ahead of the window.
- Key roles: Uldriķis/Gutkovskis provide the focal point, with Krollis’ runs and Cigaņiks’ delivery key in transition. Tobers and Černomordijs anchor a defence that must handle crosses.
- Confirmed squad: Goalkeepers — Henry Bonello, Rashed Al Tumi, James Sissons. Defenders — Zach Muscat, Juan Carlos Corbalan, Kurt Shaw, Enrico Pepe, Jean Borg, Gabriel Mentz, Kean Scicluna, Ryan Camenzuli, Myles Beerman. Midfielders — Brandon Paiber, Alexander Satariano, Jake Azzopardi, Jake Grech, Yannick Yankam, Jake Brimmer, Adam Magri Overend. Forwards — Joseph Mbong, Jodi Jones, Paul Mbong, Ilyas Chouaref, Irvin Cardona, Kyrian Nwoko, Keyon Ewurum, Kemar Reid.
- Suspension/injuries: No new injuries reported; Guillaumier’s earlier suspension was for a different fixture window.
- Key roles: Bonello’s leadership, Muscat’s organisation at the back; Jones as chief creator; Cardona a higher-level finisher if Malta counter cleanly.
Record: 1–2–7. Goals: 6 for, 19 against — that’s 0.6 scored and 1.9 conceded per game. Clean sheets: 1/10 (10%). It’s been a grind; they struggle to sustain attacks and often concede at key moments.
Trend: rely on set-plays and direct balls to the striker; vulnerable to quick switches.
Record: 3–2–5. Goals: 4 for, 15 against — about 0.4 scored and 1.5 conceded. Clean sheets: 5/10 (50%). They’re organised and stubborn, but chance creation is limited.
Trend: low-event games; defend deep, then look for Jones/Cardona in transition.
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| Metric | Latvia | Malta |
|---|---|---|
| Last 10 (W–D–L) | 1–2–7 | 3–2–5 |
| Goals For (total) | 6 | 4 |
| Goals Against (total) | 19 | 15 |
| Avg Goals Scored | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Avg Goals Conceded | 1.9 | 1.5 |
| Clean Sheet % | 10% | 50% |
| Points per Game | 0.6 | 1.0 |
In Riga, Latvia often find extra energy but results have been poor against higher-ranked sides. They concede too many at home, though their last win in this stretch did come on this ground.
Malta’s away games tend to be low-scoring. They’ve eked out draws in tight Nations League trips but were heavily beaten by elite opposition in qualifying. Expect a cautious game plan here.
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Goals For
Goals Against
- Roberts Uldriķis — target man who can bring runners into play and attack early crosses.
- Andrejs Cigaņiks — delivery and ball-carrying on the flank; key for chance creation.
- Jodi Jones — creative spark and ball-progression from wide areas.
- Irvin Cardona — higher-level finishing profile; punishes loose defending if supplied.
0-0 or 1–1 draw. Neither side has attacking fluency, and both have struggled to score consistently. Latvia at home will push, but Malta’s defensive structure and discipline suggest they can keep it close and grab a share of the points.
Under 2.5 Goals — both teams average well under a goal per game; Malta’s recent profile skews low-event.
Both Teams to Score – No — Latvia’s attack is blunt and Malta often prioritise shape over numbers forward.
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