Preview: Cyprus vs. Lithuania - prediction, team news, lineups

Neither side were close to threatening the top two positions in their respective groups and disappointing Nations League campaigns last year mean neither can fall back on a playoff spot.

Match preview

Cyprus rounded off a dismal qualifying campaign by losing 3-1 to Spain late last week, as defeat in Kolossi condemned Temuri Ketsbaia's side to an eighth defeat from eight in the section.

The Spaniards were ruthless early on and rushed into a 3-0 lead before the half-hour mark, putting the game beyond reach for Cyprus, who went into the match with no real hope.

One positive was that they at least managed to break a goalscoring duck, after going four games without a goal where they also conceded 17 goals, as Kostas Pileas's second-half strike gave the hosts something to shout about.

Yet another defeat means Cyprus are the first side to be confirmed to finish on zero points though, and it extended a run which has seen them win just one of their previous 14 competitive matches.

Their only success in that time came very surprisingly against neighbours Greece in the Nations League last year, but after taking just two points from their other five matches in the group, Cyprus finished bottom.

Only two nations drop into League D despite there being four groups in League C though, so Cyprus will have another chance to reprieve themselves when they face Gibraltar in March in a two-legged relegation playoff.

Lithuania fared much better in their qualifying campaign and have already guaranteed they will not finish bottom in their respective five-team group.

Despite a 2-0 loss in Podgorica against Montenegro, Edgaras Jankauskas's side will finish above Bulgaria due to their superior head-to-head record.

That is because they picked up four points against Bulgaria, including their only win in the section - away in Sofia last month.

Lithuania also threatened the big boys in the group though, giving eventual-qualifiers Hungary a huge scare in Kaunas last month when they led 2-0, but were pegged back late on for a draw.

Montenegro remain in contention but it could well be a draw in Lithuania which costs them, as Fedor Cernych's late stunner earned Jankauskas's men a point in a thrilling encounter earlier in the campaign.

It marks a positive upturn in fortunes for Lithuania after a poor Nations League showing of their own which saw them also finish bottom of their section, and they will face Belarus in March to avoid relegation to League D.

Cyprus friendly form:

D

Cyprus form (all competitions):

L

L

L

L

L

L

Lithuania friendly form:

D

Lithuania form (all competitions):

L

D

L

W

D

L

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Team News

Ketsbaia may tinker and experiment with his Cyprus team here, but his status in the national setup may be in jeopardy after an awful campaign.

Despite his international experience, Demetris Christofi is not in the squad given a lack of game time at club side Ethnikos Achna.

The manager may well call upon his main players again as he will want to prove he is still the right man for the job, so Salernitana's Grigoris Kastanos could start again.

Lithuania will be without Eligijus Jankauskas, who was a late pull-out prior to the Montenegro game with injury.

Paulius Golubickas also missed out on the squad entirely with injury, joining Artemijus Tutyskinas, who is a longer-term absentee.

Cyprus possible starting lineup:

Mall; Andreou, Pileas, Gogic, Laifis, Anderson Correia; Kyriakou, Kyprianou, Charalampous; Kastanos, Pittas

Lithuania possible starting lineup:

Gertmonas; Lasickas, Girdvainis, Lekiatas, Sirvys; Utkus, Vorobjovas, Gineitis; Slivka, Paulaskas, Cernych

We say: Cyprus 1-1 Lithuania

Lithuania picked up some good results in qualifying, but the majority came at home, and they have been notoriously poor travellers of late.

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