Lithuania vs Malta Predictions

• Lithuania are without a win in 10 internationals
• Malta restricted the hosts defensively in a 0-0 draw in June
• The visitors won three of their final four matches in 2024 (D1)

Hosts on worrying run

Lithuania head into Thursday’s qualifier as the favourites for the points against Malta, but the hosts are heading into the first of their Autumn internationals in troubling form.

Since winning a double-header playoff against Gibraltar in March 2024, Lithuania have lost eight and drawn two of their previous 10 games. They played out a goalless draw with Malta in June, while the hosts have the worst underlying numbers in this group so far.

Malta were beaten 8-0 by the Netherlands in their last game, but they had kept things close before that. They’ve also generated more Expected Goals, 2.3, than Lithuania’s 1.6.

Malta had an encouraging end to 2024, securing wins to nil against Andorra, Moldova, and Liechtenstein in the Nations League. Lithuania struggled to create chances when the pair last met, so back Malta to keep the hosts at bay.