Preview: San Marino vs. Liechtenstein – Prediction, team news, lineups

Both strive for rare successes in competition. San-Marino And Liechtenstein meet for a UEFA Nations League D-duel on Thursday evening at the Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle.

La Serenissima goes into this match having shown some improvements over the past twelve months, while the Blue-Reds will be aiming to score maximum points in this match.

Game Preview

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Having failed to qualify for this year's 2024 European Championship in Germany alongside some of the continent's best member nations, San Marino has so far tested itself in four friendlies in March and June in 2024, drawing once and losing three times.

A goalless draw with CONCACAF outsiders St. Kitts and Nevis on March 24 in Serravalle marked the first time La Serenissima had avoided defeat in any competition since a 1-1 draw at St. Lucia in November 2022, highlighting the country's serious and ongoing difficulties on the international stage.

San Marino's most recent competitive appearance was during the qualifying round for the 2024 European Championship. Unsurprisingly, Thursday's hosts were the whipping boys of the hotly contested Group H, picking up zero points and conceding an incredible 31 goals in 10 matches.

Despite finishing nine points behind second-to-last Northern Ireland in the group, La Serenissima managed to make a splash in the closing stages of qualifying by scoring in three consecutive matches, including a goal from Alessandro Golinucci to compensate for Kasper Hjulmand's Denmark in October 2023.

The main aim of the UEFA Nations League is to give smaller European nations the opportunity to play competitive matches against teams of similar size, but since the tournament was introduced in 2018/19, the league has not been a good place for San Marino. Roberto CevoliThe country failed to win any of its twelve games.

Like Thursday's hosts San Marino, the visitors from Liechtenstein have played four friendlies so far in the 2024 international calendar and achieved one of their most notable results in recent times, forcing Euro 2024 contenders Romania to a goalless draw in Bucharest on 7 June.

The encouraging result against Edward IordanescuThe Tri Colours arrived after a painful qualifying journey to the Euro 2024 in the course of 2023, when the blue-reds finished last in a group led by Cristiano RonaldoPortugal failed to score a single point and scored only once in ten matches.

Nevertheless, there is considerable cause for optimism in the Liechtenstein camp ahead of this week's trip to fellow minor leaguers San Marino, with the visitors managing to avoid defeat in two of their last three matches – after a 24-game losing streak stretching back to 2021.

The blue-reds want to build on their past successes on Thursday evening at the Stadio Olimpico. Liechtenstein's most recent victory in September 2020 took place at San Marino's home stadium. Nicolas Hasler And Yanik Frick broke through the goal of La Serenissima and secured a 2-0 victory.

Liechtenstein have won just two of their 16 matches in UEFA Nations League history and now have four realistic chances of recording further competitive victories in a group with San Marino and Gibraltar in the 2024–25 edition, with group winners automatically gaining promotion to League C.

San Marino Nations League form:

San Marino Form (All Competitions):

Liechtenstein Nations League Form:

Liechtenstein Form (All Competitions):

Team News

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San Marino may have to do without the services of a defender Filippo Fabriwho underwent shoulder surgery in the summer following his country's friendlies in June.

striker Nicola Nanni is La Serenissima's best attacker. The 24-year-old currently plays for Serie D team Olbia.

When he scored as a substitute in the 4-1 defeat to Cyprus in June, Simone Giocondi hopes to be promoted to the starting eleven on Thursday evening.

After helping his national team keep a clean sheet against Romania in the summer, Niklas Beck And Maximilian Goppel should keep their places in the defensive line.

Compared to the last game, however, there could be some changes in attack, as the 22-year-old Ferhat Saglam push for a beginning.

Possible starting eleven for San Marino:
Colombo; D'Addario, Cevoli, Rossi, Tosi; Golinucci, Battistini, Berardi; Contandini, Sensoli, Nanni

Liechtenstein possible starting eleven:
B. Buchel; Wolfinger, Beck, Goppel, Oberwaditizer, Kindle; Luchinger, M. Buchel, Sele; Salanovic, wreath

We think: San Marino 1-1 Liechtenstein

With two small European national football teams meeting in Serravalle on Thursday evening, we expect a hard-fought duel at the Stadio Olimpico.

San Marino and Liechtenstein both expect to score those rare goals in a competitive match, although we don't think either team will score enough points to earn maximum points.

Click here to see a data analysis of the most likely outcomes, scores and more for this match.

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