Cyprus vs Norway

Norway’s must-win UEFA European Championship 2024 qualifier against Cyprus takes places at AEK Arena in Larnaca.

Qualification for a first-ever major tournament is well beyond Cyprus’ reach after a dreadful five-game losing streak at the start of their Group A campaign, accompanied by a -15 goal difference, left them nailed to the bottom of the section. Anything other than a victory against Norway would mathematically rule Temur Ketsbaia’s side out of contention for a top-two finish, but that’s a pipe dream. Not only have the hosts lost all 12 previous H2Hs against the Scandinavians, but ten of those defeats yielded multiple-goal margins, including the last six in a row. Since beating Kazakhstan four years ago, the Cypriots have lost eight consecutive Euro qualifiers, most recently succumbing to a humiliating 6-0 loss at Spain in September. Cyprus’ defensive woes have seen them capitulate at least three times across their last three Group A outings.

In the meantime, Norway’s quest to advance in the European Championship finals for only the second time in the nation’s history – first since 2000 – is back on the rails following a disappointing start. Stale Solbakken’s men have gone from a three-game winless run at the beginning of their Group A journey (D1, L2) to back-to-back wins over Cyprus and Georgia, whittling down the gap on runners-up Spain to only two points. But with the Spaniards boasting a game in hand, the Norwegians cannot afford to drop points here as they’ve done in seven of their last nine away Euro qualifiers (W2, D3, L4). It’s also worth noting they’ve gone winless on their three most recent competitive travels (D1, L2), conceding 2+ goals on two occasions.