Euro 2024 qualifier: Wales vs Latvia verdict, predicted score, key stats and suggested bets
- Matty Briggs
- 27 March 2023
Wales take on Latvia on Tuesday night - and will be aiming to sign off the international break with four Euro 2024 qualifying points after an unlikely draw with Croatia on matchday one.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
Euro 2024 qualifier, Group D, Tuesday, March 28, Kick-off 7.45pm, live on Premier Sports 2.
Predicted score
Wales 1-1 Latvia
Suggested bets
Wales vs Latvia draw
Key stats
Wales have not won in nine games since they qualified for the World Cup, losing six
Wales have scored just twice in five games
Previous meetings
Friendly: Latvia 0-2 Wales, August 2004
Team news
Daniel James, Harry Wilson and new captain Aaron Ramsey will all start again at home to Latvia. The trio were all replaced in Split.
Kieffer Moore is set to lead the line and Brennan Johnson is out. Wayne Hennessey and Ben Davies were omitted from the squad.
Latvia's impressive showing against Ireland should see them name a similar XI. Roberts Uldrikis will start alongside Vladislavs Gutkovskis up front.
Recent form
Wales drew 1-1 with Croatia last time out
Latvia lost 3-2 in a friendly to Rep of Ireland last time out
Verdict
Wales started life without Gareth Bale with a morale-boosting 1-1 draw with Croatia at the weekend. Substitute Nathan Broadhead marked his debut with a dramatic last-gasp equaliser against the World Cup semi-finalists.
Wales' youthful squad is very inexperienced but Rob Page selected 11 players who had featured at the World Cup and was rewarded with a draw.
Wales were under the cosh for large spells and had the crossbar to thank for not going 2-0 down in a game in which Luka Modric ran the show. But Wales hung in there and grabbed an unlikely point which they must now follow up with a win.
There is more than 100 places between these two in the FIFA World Rankings, but Latvia (133) have belied their position in recent matches.
A draw with 63rd-ranked Iceland and a narrow defeat to the Republic of Ireland (48) means they look like they have been punching above their weight.
Wales are 2/9 shots and expected to get the job done, but there will be pressure on the hosts in Cardiff and Latvia have shown they can be dangerous.
And Wales will not need any reminding about Latvia's neighbours Estonia denting Wales' push for 2022 World Cup qualification by holding out for a goalless draw in Cardiff in September 2021.
Latvia have scored in their last five games, including the 3-2 defeat in Dublin where they pegged Ireland back to 2-2 before eventually losing. Latvia managed 50% possession in that game and they may well be looking to do similar at the Aviva Stadium.
They also showed an ability to shoot from range and Wales will have to be switched on and get themselves up again after their heroics in Split.
