Wales will be aiming for their first victory in Euro 2024 qualifying when they host Latvia at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday, following their successful salvage of a valuable point in their opening match.
Details
Date: Tuesday 28th March
Kick-off time: 19:45 BST
Location: Cardiff City Stadium
TV Channel: S4C/S4C Online/Viaplay Sports 2
Odds: Wales 2/9 | Draw 11/2 | Latvia 16/1
Preview
Rob Page’s team secured a stoppage-time equaliser in Split, providing them with a promising start to the tournament. Meanwhile, Latvia suffered a narrow defeat in a recent friendly against the Republic of Ireland, and they are considered outsiders in Group D.
Wales started the post-Gareth Bale era with a daunting challenge, as they faced Croatia on Saturday, one of the toughest opponents imaginable. The Croatian team had recently reached the semi-finals of the World Cup and had an impressive record of 34 wins and one draw in their previous European qualifiers played at home.
Despite facing a formidable opponent, Wales showed great resilience and were able to earn a valuable draw in their first away match on the road to Germany, also taking points from their direct rivals for a top-two finish.
Although Croatia had a well-deserved lead at halftime and dominated possession, hitting the crossbar in the process, Wales managed to secure a draw thanks to Nathan Broadhead’s late equalizer in the 93rd minute – a memorable senior debut for the Bangor-born player.
With Latvia and Armenia likely to be also-rans in Group D, every point against the improving Turkey side will be crucial in Wales’ pursuit of automatic qualification, making their hard-fought draw against Croatia potentially worth its weight in gold.
The upcoming match on Tuesday in the Welsh capital will be the nations’ first-ever competitive encounter and only their second meeting overall. Rob Page, who was among the starters in Mark Hughes’s side during a 2-0 friendly win in 2004, will be hoping to secure another victory.
After finishing fifth in World Cup qualifying, Latvia’s recent Nations League campaign provided them with a confidence boost heading into 2023. They accumulated 13 points from six games and secured a return to League C for next season.
Under the guidance of Dainis Kazakevics, the Latvian national football team secured promotion from the lowest tier of their competition by winning their first four matches. However, they lost to Iceland on penalties in the Baltic Cup final in November.
In their final preparations for the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, they suffered a 3-2 defeat to Ireland in a friendly fixture at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Despite trailing by two goals in the first half, they managed to pull one back through a spectacular 25-yard strike from Roberts Uldrikis and equalize with a goal from Arturs Zjuzins just before half-time. However, they ultimately conceded again when Chiedoze Ogbene scored for Ireland after the interval.
Ranked 133rd in the world by FIFA, Latvia has only qualified for the Euros once before, in 2004, and their chances of doing so again are slim. The playoff route is almost closed as League D teams from last year’s Nations League have been denied direct access.
Team News
Rob Page has revealed that he will start Daniel James, Harry Wilson, and new captain Aaron Ramsey in Wales’ upcoming match against Latvia, after admitting that he made a triple substitution in their previous match to prioritize winning against Latvia.
Despite being withdrawn in their last game against Croatia, none of the trio are playing regularly at club level and may lack match fitness. Kieffer Moore is expected to lead the line upfront for Wales, seeking his 10th international goal.
Brennan Johnson has been ruled out due to a groin injury, while Wayne Hennessey and Ben Davies have already withdrawn from the squad.
Following their impressive fightback against Ireland, Latvia is likely to retain most of their lineup from their last game. The strike partnership of Roberts Uldrikis and Vladislavs Gutkovskis is expected to feature in the starting XI.
Raimonds Krollis, who moved to Serie A in the winter transfer window, is pushing for a place in the starting lineup after making a substitute appearance in their last game. Antonijs Cernomordijs, a defender from Riga FC, will captain the visitors from the heart of their defense.
Potential Lineup
Wales possible starting XI:
Ward; Roberts, Mepham, Rodon, Williams; Ampadu, Morrell; Wilson, Ramsey, James; Moore
Latvia possible starting XI:
Steinbors; Savalnieks, Cernomordijs, Balodis, Sorokins; Ikauniekis, Tobers, Zjuzins, Ciganiks; Uldrikis, Gutkovskis
Prediction
After a thrilling but late draw with Croatia, Wales need to secure three points in what should be one of their easier matches of the group – espeically at the Cardiff City Stadium. The team possess more than enough talent and work-ethic. as well as a strong reslience as we saw in Split – with the potential to bring on a number of game-changers.
Wales 2 – 0 Latvia
