Malta vs Lithuania prediction: EUROPE: World Championship – Qualification betting tips on match 2025-06-06 16:00.
[p]A pair of admirable performances against Finland and Poland failed to yield any goals or points for Malta, who consequently sit bottom of their FIFA World Cup qualifying (WCQ) group. The Reds squandered nine shots on target across those two matches to leave them as even bigger underdogs to reach a first-ever major tournament, with their active three-match scoreless streak their longest since October 2021.[/p]
[p]Rectifying that in WCQ action appears unlikely as Malta have endured a torrid time in this competition, winning just three of their 114 such matches (D12, L99). They’ve finished bottom of their qualifying group in each of the last seven cycles and picked up just one win from their previous 57 WCQ home games (D9, L47), so new boss Emilio De Leo has plenty of work on his hands.[/p]
[p]Opponents Lithuania at least have a point on the board in this WCQ cycle after they came from 2-0 down to rescue a draw with Finland last time out. That result ended an eight-match losing streak and reignited their hopes of reaching a first major international tournament, and further momentum could be generated here as Lithuania look to build on an impressive return of one defeat from five previous H2Hs (W2, D2).[/p]
[p]The Tricolours may not be so confident of achieving that on foreign soil where they’ve struggled in WCQ action, failing to win any of their last 13 matches since 2012 (D3, L10). Lithuania failed to score in nine of those matches, including each of the last five, which means boss Edgaras Jankauskas will need to inspire an improvement in attack to get the result here.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Kyrian Nwoko’s four previous strikes for Malta have all served as the first of the game. With Armandas Kučys out injured, Lithuania’s Romualdas Jansonas will be looking to score his first senior international goal – he has won the last six club matches he scored in.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Malta have only scored two first half goals in their last 29 matches. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Matt Jones[/i][/p]