San Marino vs Romania prediction: EUROPE: World Championship – Qualification betting tips on match 2025-03-23 19:45.
[p]While hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup certainly aren’t realistic, San Marino would’ve entered their World Cup qualification (WCQ) campaign as confident as ever after a highly successful UEFA Nations League D (UNL) campaign. FIFA’s lowest-ranked side defied the odds to top UNL Group D1, despite entering all four of their games against Liechtenstein and Gibraltar as underdogs.[/p]
[p]San Marino found themselves on the wrong side of the betting line in their WCQ opener against Cyprus on Friday night, but gave a decent account of themselves on the road despite losing 2-0. They now face their toughest test in quite some time when they host Romania, a team they’ve been beaten by in all three previous H2Hs by an aggregate 10-1 scoreline.[/p]
[p]There are 172 spots separating San Marino and 38th-ranked Romania, driven by the visitors having a mesmeric 2024 in which they finished top of their Euro 2024 group and UNL Group C2 to secure promotion into League B. They’re therefore fancied to be in contention for top spot in Group H, but got off to a shocking start by surprisingly losing 1-0 at home to Bosnia & Herzegovina in their opener. [/p]
[p]The Tricolour will need to respond immediately here, as failure to win will put their hopes of a first World Cup appearance since 1998 in severe jeopardy even at this early stage. Hitting the road here should help Mircea Lucescu’s men in their quest to bounce back since they won all three of their UNL away games, form they’ll now look to transfer into WCQ action. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: San Marino’s Nicola Nanni has scored two of their last four international goals from the penalty spot, contributing to all his three goals for his country coming after half-time. Romania will be leaning on their top scorer from the UNL Răzvan Marin, who might take a while to settle in considering he’s scored the second goal of the game in six of his last seven goalscoring outings internationally. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: There have been four penalties scored in San Marino’s last six home games.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Peter Stavrinou[/i][/p]