Latvia vs North Macedonia: Nations League Preview

Latvia and North Macedonia are set to face off in a Nations League clash at the Stadions Skonto in Riga on Thursday. The match is part of Group C4 in the 2024-25 campaign. Latvia will aim to build on their recent victory over the Faroe Islands, while North Macedonia seeks to continue their positive start following their win against Armenia.

Latvia made their way into League C after a successful run in the 2022-23 Nations League, where they finished atop League D. They demonstrated commendable performance, securing four wins, a draw, and one loss from six matches, edging out Moldova by head-to-head goal difference. However, Latvia’s current campaign has seen mixed results; they suffered a 4-1 defeat away to Armenia but bounced back with a 1-0 victory against the Faroe Islands, thanks to ‘s goal in the 64th minute.

North Macedonia enters the match with the ambition of improving upon their previous Nations League season, which left them in third place, nine points shy of group winners Georgia. This campaign, they began with a 1-1 draw against the Faroe Islands but managed to secure a 2-0 victory over Armenia, despite playing with ten men after ‘s ejection in first-half stoppage time. and both contributed goals in this impressive display, positioning North Macedonia to aim for consecutive wins in a single Nations League season for the first time since 2018.

The Latvian side, under the guidance of coach , might choose to maintain the lineup that secured their recent win over the Faroe Islands. The team’s offense could be led by , who has been in excellent form, netting three goals in his last two matches for RFS, including a crucial strike in a Europa League draw against Galatasaray.

North Macedonia will be without Zajkov, who is serving a suspension following his red card against Armenia. Coach Milevski is expected to adapt by selecting a back three consisting of , , and . Bardhi remains a key offensive player for the visitors, having scored in both of their opening Nations League fixtures.

The match presents a challenge for Latvia, who have never beaten North Macedonia. The visitors hold an advantage in the FIFA World Rankings, sitting 65 places above Latvia. Analysts predict that North Macedonia’s experience and squad depth could be decisive, giving them a 59.1% chance of winning the match, compared to Latvia’s 27.3% and a draw at 13.6%.