Latvia vs Cyprus Predictions

Latvia vs Cyprus: Nations League pressure rises after opening defeats. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.

Latvia and Cyprus meet in Riga on Monday with both already needing a response after beginning their Nations League campaigns with defeat.

Three Punchy Stats

• Latvia have failed to score in three of their last four matches, including consecutive defeats heading into Monday’s fixture.
• All of Latvia’s last five matches have produced fewer than three goals, continuing the low-scoring pattern also seen in every previous Latvia-Cyprus meeting.
• Cyprus have scored seven goals across their last five matches compared with Latvia’s three, giving the visitors the stronger recent attacking record despite both starting their Nations League campaigns with defeat.

The difference lies in how those losses arrived. Latvia were beaten 2-0 by Armenia without scoring, extending a difficult attacking sequence, whereas Cyprus led Montenegro before eventually losing 2-1. Neither side has a point in Group C2, but Cyprus start narrowly above their hosts on goal difference.

With Latvia still searching for a first victory over Cyprus and both teams’ recent meetings tending to be tight, this fixture looks less about momentum than which side can make better use of limited attacking opportunities.

Latvia’s scoring problem is becoming difficult to ignore

Paolo Nicolato’s side have won only twice in their last 14 matches, with five draws and seven defeats completing that sequence. Both victories were 1-0 wins over Gibraltar in the relegation play-off that preserved Latvia’s League C status.

The concern is that those narrow successes have not developed into greater attacking productivity. Latvia have failed to score in three of their last four matches and have now lost their last two without finding the net.

Their 2-0 defeat in Armenia continued that pattern. After also losing 1-0 to the Faroe Islands following a penalty-shootout defeat to Lithuania in the Baltic Cup semi-finals, Latvia arrive needing more than simply greater resilience.

Changes are possible after Armenia dominated the opening Nations League fixture. Oskars Vientiess, Roberts Uldrikis and Maksims Tonisevs are among those who could come into the side, while Janis Ikaunieks’ availability is another issue to monitor.

Cyprus have shown more attacking life

Cyprus also lost on Friday, but their performance in Montenegro offers a different starting point.

They took the lead before eventually falling 2-1, ending an unbeaten three-match sequence consisting of two victories and a draw. Their last five matches have produced seven goals, compared with Latvia’s three, giving Apostolos Mantzios’ side the stronger recent attacking return.

There are also options in the forward areas. Marcus Edwards made his Cyprus debut against Montenegro, while Ioannis Pittas has scored three times in six appearances during the recent European qualifying cycle. Marinos Tzionis is another possible part of the attacking unit.

That does not make Cyprus secure defensively — they have conceded six times across their last five — but it does suggest they arrive with more evidence of being able to turn possession and opportunities into goals.

Fine margins have defined this fixture

The history between these sides reinforces the possibility of another closely fought contest.

Cyprus are unbeaten in three previous meetings, winning twice and drawing once, but none of those games produced more than two goals. The latest ended 1-1 in March 2024.

That pattern aligns particularly strongly with Latvia’s recent matches. Each of their last five has finished with fewer than three goals, and their two victories over Gibraltar were both secured by a single goal.

For Latvia, the challenge is therefore clear: keeping a match tight has not necessarily been the problem. Finding enough attacking output to turn that competitiveness into victories has been much harder.

Cyprus showed against Montenegro that they can get themselves ahead, but also that protecting an advantage remains another matter. That combination could leave this match finely balanced if Latvia can improve on their display in Armenia.

📊 Market Explainer

Main Tip

Both Teams to Score (BTTS)

Selection: BTTS Yes. Both teams must score at least once during normal time. The match winner does not matter; the selection is settled only by whether each side finds the net.

Correct Score Tip

Correct Score Market

Selection: Latvia vs Cyprus 1-1. Predict the exact score at the end of 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Extra time and penalties do not count unless the bookmaker states otherwise.

🎯 Pick 1: BTTS Yes @ 9/10

Cyprus bring a consistent goalscoring output into this Nations League Group C2 fixture, having scored seven goals across their past five matches despite opening their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Montenegro. That attacking productivity provides a practical foundation for both teams to score in Riga, particularly as Apostolos Mantzios’ side have simultaneously conceded six goals over that same five-game sequence. Taking the lead in Montenegro demonstrated that Cyprus possess enough forward threat through options like Ioannis Pittas and debutant Marcus Edwards to breach opposition defences early.

Latvia arrive needing an immediate response following a 2-0 defeat in Armenia where they failed to establish any attacking control. Paolo Nicolato’s team have struggled for goals recently, failing to score in three of their last four matches and winning only twice in fourteen outings—both 1-0 victories against Gibraltar. However, returning home creates an imperative to alter that approach, with potential line-up inclusions such as Roberts Uldrikis and Maksims Tonisevs offering ways to refresh the forward line. Facing a Cypriot backline that consistently yields opportunities and failed to protect an advantage last time out gives Latvia a far more manageable defensive structure to test than the one they encountered in Yerevan.

The obvious risk to settlement lies in Latvia’s low recent scoring totals and a broader trend of tight matches. Nevertheless, Cyprus’ balance of regular scoring and persistent defensive concession makes a scenario where both teams find the net realistic.

🎯 Tactical Indicators

• Cyprus have scored seven goals across their last five matches while conceding six over the same period.
• Latvia have seen all of their last five matches feature under 2.5 goals while seeking an attacking response following consecutive defeats.
• The previous head-to-head meeting between Latvia and Cyprus in March 2024 finished in a 1-1 draw.

Risk Factor: If Latvia's recent scoring struggles persist and they fail to find the net for a third consecutive match, the BTTS selection loses.

⚔️ Pick 2: Latvia vs Cyprus 1-1 @ 9/2

A 1-1 draw aligns directly with the recent head-to-head precedent between these nations, as their most recent encounter in March 2024 finished with that exact scoreline. For Latvia to secure their side of this scoreline, they must convert home advantage into a single goal after being kept scoreless in two consecutive fixtures. Despite winning only twice in fourteen matches, Latvia routinely keep fixtures competitive and low-scoring, with all of their last five matches featuring under 2.5 total goals. Potential line-up adjustments involving forward Roberts Uldrikis provide a plausible avenue for the hosts to register one goal against a visiting defence that has conceded six times in five outings.

Cyprus justify their single goal through a far more active attacking record, having netted seven goals across their last five matches. Ioannis Pittas, who scored three goals in six European qualifying appearances, alongside Marinos Tzionis, provides proven attacking threat against a Latvian defence that conceded twice in Armenia. However, Cyprus have also proven incapable of pulling away or keeping clean sheets, as demonstrated when they surrendered a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 against Montenegro. Their inability to hold leads prevents a comfortable away win, while Latvia’s historical low-scoring nature caps the total goal volume.

The main vulnerability to this exact score is the strict requirement for precisely two total goals split evenly. A clean sheet from either side or a late third goal defeats the pick, but 1-1 remains a well-supported outcome given their shared limitations.