Moldova return to competitive action after falling just short of Euro 2024 qualification when they welcome Malta to Chisinau in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday.
Malta make the trip to the Stadionul Zimbru out of form and unfancied to compete for promotion out of the bottom tier, and begin with the toughest test they will face in the group.
Match preview
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After being one of the lowest-ranked sides in the world just two years ago, a phenomenal Euro 2024 qualifying campaign has seen Moldova rise almost 30 places.
Serghei Clescenco's men almost became the lowest-ranked nation ever to qualify for a major tournament, taking four points off Poland, and holding eventual qualifiers Albania and Czechia to draws.
Qualification went down to the final matchday in a winner-takes-all encounter in Olomouc against Czechia, but a 3-0 defeat saw Clescenco's brave troops fall narrowly short.
Moldova's world ranking took a hit when they were relegated to League D of the Nations League in 2020, and they missed out on promotion in the next edition, finishing behind Latvia on goal difference.
Fast forward to the present, and the Tricolorii enter the new Nations League campaign as the strongest of the six sides in League D, and with Andorra the other nation in their group, Malta are likely to be their closest challengers for promotion.
However, the visitors bring no form at all into this new international cycle, coming off the back of losing all eight Euro 2024 qualifiers.
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Malta's only win in their last 11 came at home to Gibraltar, and they were also thumped 7-1 away in Czechia as recently as June.
It was believed that Malta had a slight chance of promotion in the last Nations League campaign in 2022, but home and away defeats to Estonia put paid to any hopes of moving up to League C for the first time.
A defeat here to begin with will have Michele Marcolini's men on the backfoot from the outset, with just three teams in the group, giving little time to make up the ground after a loss.
Malta's record against Moldova makes for grim reading too, as they have won only once in eight previous meetings - a friendly in 2002 - which is a rather disappointing showing given how little separates the two sides in the rankings.
Team News
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Moldova's talisman will be Ion Nicolaescu, who has 10 goals in his last 20 caps, and he enters the international window on the back of a late double for Heerenveen against NAC Breda last weekend.
Nicolaescu will not play alongside Nicky Clescenco though, as the attacker, also son of manager Serghei, remains out injured, but left-back Oleg Reabciuk is expected to feature and will earn his 50th cap for Moldova in doing so.
Artur Ionita left Pisa over the summer and remains a free agent, so that lack of match fitness could see Clescenco leave the 34-year-old on the bench from the beginning here.
Malta defender Ferdinando Apap retired over the summer having made just 15 appearances in an international career which started relatively late in his career.
In Apap's place, uncapped pair Jake Vassallo and Mathias Ellul have been called up and are in contention to make their Malta debuts in this one.
Yannick Yankam and Carlo Zammit Lonardelli have both returned to the fold after missing June's fixtures through injury, but Luke Montebello remains out, while Notts County's Jodi Jones has refused a call up once again.
Moldova possible starting lineup:
Railean; Revenco, Craciun, Posmac, Reabciuk; Postolachi, Rata, Stina, Caimacov, Motpan; Nicolaescu
Malta possible starting lineup:
Bonello; S. Borg, Pepe, Vassallo; Zammit Lonardelli, Yankam, Guillaumier, Teuma, Camenzuli; P. Mbong, J. Mbong
We say: Moldova 2-0 Malta
Malta struggle in the final third and start off slowly, having scored just one first-half goal in their last 22 outings, and they could find it tough against a Moldova side which should be full of confidence after their results over the past 12 months.
The wheels came off slightly for the hosts after they missed out on Euro 2024, but being back in competitive action should see them raise their game as favourites to win the group.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
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