Sports
Cyprus Host Latvia in Nations League Group 2 Match
Cyprus and Latvia will face each other in a UEFA Nations League Group 2 match on Monday at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia. The home side are unbeaten in their last two games, while Latvia are still looking for their first win in the competition.
Cyprus sit second in the group with four points from three matches, five points behind leaders Montenegro. After a 2‑1 loss to Montenegro in their opening game, Akis Mantzios’s side have remained unbeaten, drawing 0‑0 with Latvia away and winning 2‑0 over Armenia at home, despite playing most of the second half with ten men. The two goals in the Armenia match were scored by Leonidas Konomis and Andronikos Kakoullis, and Cyprus kept a clean sheet.
Latvia earned a place in League C after defeating Gibraltar in the promotion‑relegation play‑offs, but they have struggled since. They have lost four of their last five matches, drawing the other, including defeats to Lithuania and the Faroe Islands in the Baltic Cup. Their Nations League campaign began with a 2‑0 loss to Armenia, followed by a 0‑0 draw with Cyprus, and a 2‑1 defeat to Montenegro. Latvia have scored only one goal and conceded four in the group.
Team news: Cyprus will be without Kostas Pileas, who was sent off against Armenia; Giorgos Malekkidis is expected to take the left‑back position. Mantzios has no major injury concerns. Latvia may change their defence after Roberts Savalnieks was injured in the previous match; Raivis Jurkovskis is likely to replace him. Danila Patijcuks also sustained an injury and could be rested, with Markuss Strods expected to come in. Antonijs Cernomordijs is suspended for accumulated yellow cards.
Possible lineups: Cyprus – Fabiano; Konomis, Kyprianou, Panagiotou, Malekkidis; Andreou, Kastanos; Loizou, Edwards, Kakoullis; Pittas. Latvia – Matrevics; Cirkin, Melniks, Balodis, Vientiess, Jurkovskis; Ciganiks, Zelenkovs, Vapne, Strods; Uldrikis.