Latvia vs Wales

Underperforming Wales head to the Skonto stadions in Riga to encounter whipping boys Latvia in a must-win Euro 2024 qualifying contest.

A thumping 5-0 defeat at Croatia last time out nailed Latvia to the bottom of qualifying Group D, condemning them to a fourth qualifying defeat in as many games. The Latvians are in familiar territory, with four losses via an aggregate score of 11-3 suggesting a first winless Euro qualifying campaign since 2016 could be on the cards. It’s already a near-certainty they won’t reach the Euro finals for the first time as an independent country, but halting a two-game losing H2H record against Wales could have a massive impact on the final standings. But achieving that feat would require ’11 Wolves’ to snap a five-match losing run, not to mention score against Wales for the first time in history.

Meanwhile, visiting Wales shared the spoils in a tepid 0-0 draw against South Korea in an international friendly last week, adding a third consecutive match without a victory to their winless tally (D1, L2). That hardly makes for good reading as the ‘Dragons’ come into proceedings desperate to curtail a two-game losing streak in Group D and at least maintain a three-point deficit on the coveted runner-up spot. Barring a narrow 1-0 home win over none other than Latvia on matchday two, Rob Page’s men have gone winless in their last three Euro 2024 qualifiers (D1, L2), casting huge doubt on their bid to reach the final tournament for the third time in a row. Playing away from home is unlikely to lend them a helping hand, with Wales losing their last five internationals on foreign soil.