Moldova take on Cyprus at the Stadionul Zimbru in Chişinău in an international friendly fixture on Saturday, 8 June.
Can Moldova win the first of their two summer friendlies at Cyprus’s expense when the teams meet this weekend?
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Moldova vs Cyprus prediction: Low-scoring affair anticipated
Key Stats
- Cyprus managed to score only two goals in their last eight international matches combined.
- Five of Moldova’s last eight assignments featured under 2.5 goals.
- Moldova have lost only two of their last seven tests on home soil.
- Ion Nicolăescu scored three goals across Moldova’s last four home matches.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Cyprus installed as underdogs
- HOME: 21/20 (2.05) – 48.8%
- DRAW: 5/2 (3.50) – 28.6%
- AWAY: 21/10 (3.10) – 32.3%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
View more of our top predictions for this week’s other fixtures on our dedicated football tips page.
Last five H2Hs: Sides haven’t met since 2011
Moldova and Cyprus have met on just one previous occasion and that encounter came all the way back in 2011. Cyprus won that friendly skirmish 3-2.
Moldova preview: Hosts missing trio
Ion Jardan, Vadim Bolohan and Cristian Dros are all missing from the Moldova squad for the upcoming friendly internationals. There are no uncapped players in the Moldovan roster, meanwhile. Moldova eased to a 4-0 win over the Cayman Islands in their last test back in March.
Predicted lineup: Railean (GK), Revenco, Craciun, Baboglo, Posmac, Reabciuk, Postolachi, Rata, Caimacov, Motpan & Nicolaescu
International Match 10/09/24
W
San Marino
0
Moldova
1
UEFA Nations League D 07/09/24
W
Malta
0
Moldova
2
International Match 11/06/24
L
Ukraine
4
Moldova
0
International Match 08/06/24
W
Cyprus
2
Moldova
3
International Match 22/03/24
D
North Macedonia
1
Moldova
1
Cyprus preview: Visitors targeting improvement
Cyprus have an empty summer to look forward to following another torrid qualification campaign for a major tournament. The Cypriots lost all eight of their Euro 2024 qualifiers, conceding a mammoth 28 goals along the way. Head Coach Temuri Ketsbaia could name an experimental side for this weekend's contest in Moldova.
Predicted lineup: Mall (GK), Karo, Gogic, Laifis, Andreaou, Kyriakou, Kousoulos, Correia, Loizou, Charalampous & Pittas
UEFA Nations League C 09/09/24
L
Kosovo
4
Cyprus
0
UEFA Nations League C 06/09/24
W
Lithuania
0
Cyprus
1
International Match 11/06/24
W
San Marino
1
Cyprus
4
International Match 08/06/24
L
Moldova
3
Cyprus
2
International Match 25/03/24
L
Serbia
1
Cyprus
0
Player to watch – Ion Nicolăescu
Ion Nicolăescu is a hugely important figure for Moldova and the attacker is the leading scorer in the Moldovan squad by a distance. The 25-year-old has scored 15 times in 42 appearances for his country, making him the nation’s all-time leading marksman.
Nicolăescu carries the most threat
In a Moldovan squad short on top-tier quality, Nicolăescu stands out as a player with pedigree. The forward lines out at club level for Dutch side Heerenveen in the Eredivisie, though he has been on the periphery of their team since moving to the Netherlands.
Nicolăescu started just seven times in the league over the course of the 2023/24 Dutch season, though he did manage to bag five goals, notching once every 139 minutes of action. The attacker hit four goals in six games during Moldova’s recent Nations League campaign.
