Romania vs Andorra
A must-win Euro 2024 qualifier awaits Romania at the Stadionul Naţional in Bucharest as they entertain Group I basement boys Andorra.
Romania’s second goalless draw in the ongoing qualifying cycle could prove a costly one as they failed to capitalize on their initiative against Belarus earlier this week. Despite maintaining their unbeaten Group I start and keeping hold of a runner-up spot in the process (W3, D4), the ‘Tricolours’ cannot rest easy, knowing third-placed Israel sit only two points below with a game in hand. A heavily anticipated home return ought to rectify past mistakes, with Romania racking up two wins in three Euro 2024 qualifiers they’ve hosted so far (D1), including a dramatic 2-0 triumph over Kosovo last time out. Andorra’s visit to Bucharest also bodes well, with the Romanians winning all five previous H2H meetings by at least a two-goal margin.
With Andorra failing to get on the scoresheet in the last four H2Hs, including a 2-0 home defeat in the reverse fixture in the current qualifying campaign, the visitors’ chances of breaking a three-game scoreless run in Group I are virtually nonexistent. Since holding Belarus to a 0-0 home draw on matchday four, Koldo Alvarez’s men have lost back-to-back Euro qualifiers by the same 3-0 scoreline, which hardly gives them any realistic chance of registering only their second-ever win in Euro qualifying. With the microstate yet to win a Euro qualifier on the road, this promises to be a walk in the park for Romania, particularly considering the Iberian minnows have conceded a combined six goals on their last two visits to the country.