Latvia vs Armenia Prediction & Tips
Latvia coach Dainis Kazakevics is under a lot of pressure and knows he may have few games left to save his job. The 42-year-old has been in charge since 2020, but a run of six consecutive defeats, which includes all five of these Euro 2023 qualifiers, has left some fans calling for a change on the bench.
The most recent of those defeats was a 2-0 home loss to Wales, after which Latvia Football Federation coach Vadims Lasenko told fans that Kazakevis’ future will be “evaluated after the Euro qualifying campaign.” But even three wins in their last three games of this group stage will not be enough to go to Germany, with their previous performances in Group D being so poor that their hopes of finishing in the top two have already been extinguished.
This is not the case for their opponents Armenia, who are dreaming of reaching a major tournament for the first time as an independent nation, and have every reason to do so. Armenia, which has finished no better than second-to-last in six of its previous seven Euro qualifying campaigns, has taken seven points from five matches (G2, E1, P2), including a 2-1 win over Latvia in June.
Coach Oleksandr Petrakov believes this means his team has a high chance of punching a ticket to Germany, mentioning that they are “fighting for second place” in the group alongside Turkey and Wales. However, a narrow 1-0 defeat to 2023 UEFA Nations League champions Croatia in their last match means they are currently three points off second place, so this match is of paramount importance to them, especially as second-placed Turkey visit group leaders Croatia.
Players to watch: Roberts Uldrikis has scored seven goals for Latvia, with the last six of those goals being registered after the break. Looking to stop him will be defender André Calisir, although he has failed to keep a clean sheet in his seven appearances for Armenia in Euro qualifiers (G1, P6).
Key stat: Armenia has failed to keep a clean sheet in any of its last 11 away internationals, conceding at least two goals on eight occasions.
Latvia – Armenia FREE TIPS
OVER 1.5 GOALS @ 1.50
