Norway will be looking to boost their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024 when they travel to the AEK Arena in Larnaca to face Cyprus on Thursday night.
While the hosts are still searching for their first win in 2023, the visitors are hoping to extend their winning run in all competitions to four matches.
Match preview
© Reuters
After accumulating 10 points from as many games in Euro 2020 qualifying, Cyprus have since failed to pick up a single point in their opening five Euro 2024 qualifiers and are one of only six European nations who are yet to open their account.
Only European minnows San Marino (21) and Liechtenstein (19) have conceded more goals than Cyprus (17) at this stage of qualifying, with Temur Ketsbaia's side all but confirmed to miss out on qualifying for yet another major tournament.
The White and Blues were comfortably beaten in their last two matches in September, with a 3-0 home defeat to Group A leaders Scotland followed just four days later by a 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Spain – their heaviest defeat since a 6-0 loss to Russia in November 2021.
Cyprus are unsurprisingly rooted to the foot of Group A and they will officially be out of contention to finish in the top two if they fail to beat Norway on Thursday or is Spain avoid defeat at home to Scotland.
One slight positive for Ketsbaia's men, ranked 120th in the world by FIFA, can take into Thursday's clash is that they have avoided defeat in four of their last seven home matches in all competitions, including victories against Estonia and Greece in the UEFA Nations League last year.
© Reuters
Norway endured a difficult start to Euro 2024 qualifying as they picked up just one point from their opening three Group A fixtures, playing out a 1-1 draw with Georgia in between defeats to Spain and Scotland.
However, the Lions, ranked 43rd in the world by FIFA, remain in the race to secure a top-two finish after claiming back-to-back wins over Cyprus and Georgia, beating the latter 2-1 last month thanks to goals from Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard; a thumping 6-0 friendly win was also recorded between these two fixtures.
Norway's three-game winning streak has provided a timely boost for Stale Solbakken's side, who currently sit third in Group A and two points behind second-placed Spain, who the Lions will face on home soil in a potentially pivotal fixture on Sunday.
The Scandinavian outfit, who are seeking to qualify for the European Championship for the first time since 2000, have won all 11 previous meetings with Cyprus, scoring three goals on seven occasions including a 3-1 home win in June.
However, Norway's away form leaves a little to be desired as they have only won three of their last eight games on the road in all competitions as well as just two of their last nine away matches in Euro qualifying.
Team News
© Reuters
Peterborough United's Hector Kyprianou has received his first senior call-up to the Cyprus squad this month, and the 22-year-old will compete with Charalambos Kyriakou, Ioannis Kousoulos and Michalis Ioannou for a place in centre-midfield.
Pieros Sotiriou is set to earn his 60th international cap and the striker could move into third on the nation's all-time scoring charts with 13 goals if he finds the net on Thursday.
As for Norway, Solbakken is expected to name a similar side to the one that beat Georgia last month, with Brentford's Kristoffer Ajer set to continue in a back four including Stefan Strandberg, Leo Ostigard and either Fredrik Andre Bjorkan or Birger Meling.
Alexander Sorloth will be pushing to make his 50th international appearance, but that may have to come from the substitutes' bench as star striker Haaland is poised to lead the line; the Manchester City striker has 25 goals in 26 international appearances for Norway and is just seven goals behind the nation's all-time leading scorer Jorgen Juve who played between 1928 and 1937.
Haaland's club teammate Oscar Bobb is in contention to earn his first senior cap in attack and will likely battle with Club Brugge teenager Antonio Nusa – who made his international debut last month – for a start on the left flank.
Cyprus possible starting lineup:
Mall; Karo, Gogic, Laifis; Andreou, Kyriakou, Ioannou, Kousoulos, Correia; Kastanos, Sotiriou
Norway possible starting lineup:
Nyland; Ajer, Strandberg, Ostigard, Meling; Odegaard, Berg, Aursnes; Larsen, Haaland, Nusa
We say: Cyprus 0-3 Norway
Cyprus will be considered as major underdogs heading into Thursday's contest and will likely struggle to cope with a Norway side that have scored in 14 of their last 16 international since the start of 2022.
Norway can ill-afford to drop points if they wish to keep their hopes of securing a top-two spot in Group A alive, but we feel that the visitors will have few problems claiming a comfortable victory in Larnaca.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Spain
Scotland
Norway
Georgia
Cyprus
France
Netherlands
Greece
Rep. Ireland
Gibraltar
England
Italy
Ukraine
N. Macedonia
Malta
Turkey
Croatia
Wales
Armenia
Latvia
Albania
Czech Republic
Poland
Moldova
Faroe Islands
Belgium
Austria
Sweden
Azerbaijan
Estonia
Hungary
Serbia
Montenegro
Lithuania
Bulgaria
Denmark
Slovenia
Finland
Kazakhstan
N. Ireland
San Marino
Romania
Switzerland
Israel
Belarus
Kosovo
Andorra
Portugal
Slovakia
Luxembourg
Iceland
Bosnia H'vina
Liechtenstein
