Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Preview: Belarus vs. Andorra - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 16 November 2023, 18:18
The bottom two nations in Group I of Euro 2024 qualifying square off at Szusza Ferenc Stadion in Budapest as Belarus take on Andorra.

The two teams meet for the first time since playing out a goalless draw in the reverse fixture two months ago.

Match preview

Despite claiming six points from their last five Group I fixtures, Belarus' hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024 are over as they currently sit fifth in the group and 10 points adrift of both Switzerland and Romania in the top two with two games remaining.

Nevertheless, manager Carlos Alos will have taken plenty of positives from his side's recent performances, including successive draws against Romania and Switzerland last month - playing out a goalless stalemate with the former three days before drawing 3-3 with the latter.

The White Wings were surprisingly leading 3-1 away against the Swiss last time out - seven months on from their 5-0 home drubbing on matchday one - courtesy of goals from Max Ebong, Denis Polyakov and Dmitri Antilevski, but they were unable to hold on for maximum points as two late strikes from Manuel Akanji and Zeki Amdouni restored parity for the hosts.

Belarus, ranked 100th in the world by FIFA, head into Saturday's clash with Andorra seeking to put together a three-game unbeaten run in competitive matches for the first time since October/November 2020.

Alos's men, who have already bettered their points tally from Euro 2020 qualifying (four) with two games to spare, will fancy their chances of success on Saturday as they are unbeaten in their last four meetings with Andorra, winning three times and scoring 11 goals in the process.

Since claiming a point in September's goalless draw with Belarus, Andorra have lost each of their last three qualifiers in Group I by an aggregate score of 10-0, failing to register a single shot on target on two of those occasions.

After suffering a 3-0 home defeat to Kosovo, the Tricolours were put to the sword 4-0 by Romania in their most recent match and they subsequently sit rock bottom of Group I, four points adrift of fifth-placed Belarus heading into their final two fixtures.

Although Koldo Alvarez's side, ranked 159th in the world by FIFA, cannot qualify for Euro 2024, they can boost their chances of moving off the foot of Group I with a victory over Belarus on Saturday - not since a 2-0 triumph in April 2000 have the Tricolours come out on top against the White Wings.

Success on Saturday could prove challenging, though, as they have only won two of their last 25 international away matches across all competitions since September 2018, while they have never won an away qualifier in the European Championships.

Belarus Euro Champ Qualifying form:

L

W

D

L

D

D

Andorra Euro Champ Qualifying form:

L

L

D

L

L

L

Advert - content below:

Team News

Belarus boss Also deployed a 5-4-1 formation against Switzerland last time out, but he could call upon Sergey Karpovich and Kiryl Pyachenin to operate as wing-backs in a more attack-minded 3-4-3 setup against Andorra.

Astana midfielder Ebong has scored three of Belarus' seven goals in Euro 2024 qualifying and he is expected to take up a central role alongside either Nikita Korzun or Valery Bocherov.

BATE Borisov's Artem Kontsevoy has only scored once in seven international appearances, but he is the most likely candidate to lead the line, and he could be supported in attack by Ivan Bakhar and Maksim Skavysh.

As for Andorra, they will be without defender Moises San Nicolas after he was sent off in the closing stages of the defeat to Romania last time out.

The absence of San Nicolas could see either Kiko Pomares or Aleix Viladot join Marc Vales and Max Llovera at centre-back, as Jesus Rubio and Marc Garcia occupy the full-back positions in a five-man defence.

At the ripe age of 41 and 39 respectively, midfielders Marc Pujol and Marcio Vieira will both be pushing to start alongside Marc Rebes, while Aaron Sanchez - who is yet to score in 30 international matches - will hope to retain his place up front ahead of Ricard Fernandez and Jordi Alaez.

Belarus possible starting lineup:

Ignatovich; Volkov, Politevich, Polyakov; Karpovich, Ebong, Korzun, Pyachenin; Skavysh, Kontsevoy, Bakhar

Andorra possible starting lineup:

Alvarez; Rubio, Llovera, M. Vales, Pomares, Garcia; E. Vales, Rebes, Vieira, Cervos; Alaez

We say: Belarus 1-0 Andorra

These two European minnows are merely playing for pride on Saturday, but nevertheless will be motivated to claim a rare victory that can provide a much-needed morale boost heading into their final fixture of 2023 next week.

Previews by email

Top News

22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea star Cole Palmer will be bidding to add to an incredible Premier League record when he lines up against Leicester City on Saturday afternoon. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The Premier League is back and that can only mean one thing. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Manchester City are confident of agreeing a lucrative new contract with Erling Haaland after Pep Guardiola agreed to stay, talkSPORT understands. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid will be aiming to build on their impressive win over Osasuna before the international break when they resume their domestic campaign with a clash against Leganes on Sunday evening. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool manager Arne Slot has delivered a mixed injury update ahead of the Reds' imminent showdowns with Southampton in the Premier League and Real Madrid in the Champions League. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The January transfer window is an opportunity for teams to fix their summer spending on the cheap, or in these cases, for free. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Kai Havertz may have transformed himself at Arsenal - but he's not on the level of his Premier League rivals. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea defender Reece James has suggested that he is remaining upbeat over his latest hamstring injury. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Mohamed Salah is one of the world's best players and he has become one of the top five Liverpool goalscorers ever. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Phil Foden is a superstar for Manchester City, but he still opts to wear an unconventional number at his boyhood club. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The latest instalment of the Basque derby will take place at San Mames on Sunday night, with Athletic Bilbao welcoming rivals Real Sociedad for what should be a highly-charged affair. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa will be looking to extend a Premier League feat when they face Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Having entered the international break with a run of three straight defeats, both Torino and Monza will try to stop the rot on Sunday, when they lock horns in Turin. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Third kits in the Premier League have caught the eye this season and you will certainly notice a unique difference from typical strips… 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal's Premier League home clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon is their "biggest game of the season" so far, according to Gunners expert Charles Watts. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sevilla will attempt to bounce back from successive defeats in La Liga when they continue their campaign with a fixture against Rayo Vallecano at Estadio Ramon on Sunday afternoon. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool will endeavour to maintain or increase their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table when they pit their wits against Southampton on Sunday at St Mary's. 22 November 2024 talksport.com There can't be many things better for a football fan than to see your side score within the first minute of a game. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fifth will welcome fourth in an intriguing La Liga contest on Sunday afternoon, with Villarreal making the trip to El Sadar Stadium to tackle Osasuna. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Jose Mourinho once confirmed he received an offer from the FA to become England manager after leaving his first spell as Chelsea boss. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Newcastle have the chance to close in on the Premier League's top four on Monday when they host West Ham, live on talkSPORT. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Separated by 19 places and 24 points in the Premier League table, Southampton and Liverpool cross paths in Sunday's Premier League showdown at St Mary's Stadium. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is expecting to be without Trent Alexander-Arnold for Sunday's Premier League bout with Southampton at St Mary's. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid will be aiming to make it successive victories in La Liga when they resume their campaign with a clash against Leganes on Sunday evening. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The Premier League has been treated to the talents of some of the best African footballers of all time over the years. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Southampton head coach Russell Martin will be forced into at least two changes for Sunday's Premier League clash with leaders Liverpool at St Mary's. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Manchester City face another legal dispute with the Premier League after amendments to top-flight sponsorship rules were voted through. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to continue their sensational unbeaten streak, Lille will welcome a struggling Rennes outfit to Decathlon Arena on Sunday afternoon for a Ligue 1 clash. 22 November 2024 talksport.com If Micah Richards had a glimmer of hope he would replace Gary Lineker as Match of the Day host, he is sorely mistaken. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pedro Porro's agent is reportedly 'convinced' that Ruben Amorim will attempt to bring the Tottenham Hotspur defender to Manchester United following his arrival at Old Trafford.