Match Preview: Estonia 0-0 Cyprus Prediction and Betting Tips | UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE

Estonia – Cyprus Prediction and Tips for today, Match 24, 2022

Football: UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE – LEAGUE C – PLAY OUT – FINAL
Kick-off: 18:00 Estonia – Cyprus
Tip: Over 1.5 Goals
Odds: 1.61
Bookmaker: Bet365
Match Result: 0:0 LOST

Estonia – Cyprus Match Preview

• The battle to avoid dropping into League D of the UEFA Nations League (UNL) begins at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn with hosts Estonia having more to prove than most in this relegation play-off. The ‘Blueshirts’ were one of just two teams from League C to go winless across the 2020/21 group stage and were only eventually spared relegation from the UNL’s third tier by virtue of a format revamp back in 2019.
• Currently ranked 106th in FIFA’s standings, Estonia last won as recently as October, when they vanquished 94th-ranked Belarus in a routine 2-0 victory. With opponents Cyprus sitting just one ranking above them at present, Estonia will have solid hopes of gaining a first-leg advantage in this clash, even if they’ve now failed to score before half-time in each of their last six matches!
• Cyprus make the long journey north after winning just once since getting their sole 2020/21 UNL group-stage win, which came against Luxembourg in November 2020 (D2, L10). There’s a complication at play though, with a trip of over 3,000 km being made all the more tiring by a diversion away from the usual flight path between Nicosia and Tallinn, due to ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
• Only the most recent of Cyprus’ last ten defeats saw them find the net, with the game in question being a late consolation against Slovenia on their last trip abroad. October 2019 still remains the last time Cyprus won on foreign soil, while the visitors have never managed to beat Estonia on their own turf (D1, L1), despite keeping a first-half clean sheet both times.
• Players to watch: Rauno Sappinen accounts for each of Estonia’s last three UNL home goals from open play, whilst Andronikos Kakoullis netted Cyprus’ most recent away goal – three of his last five strikes for club Omonia have arrived beyond the 75th minute.
• Hot stat: All three of Estonia’s previous UNL home defeats have ended 1-0.