Having endured an unsurprisingly difficult UEFA Nations League campaign so far, San Marino will be hoping to pick up their first points of the competition when they welcome Belarus to the Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle for the fifth round of fixtures in Group C1. The hosts have little left to fight for, having already been confirmed as relegated to League D, but will view Thursday’s encounter as a rare opportunity to give their supporters something to cheer about.
After spending seven years in the lowest tier of the Nations League, San Marino secured promotion to League C but have struggled to make an impression despite being drawn in a relatively favorable group.
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La Serenissima failed to score in their first three matches, suffering a 7-0 thumping at the hands of Finland on the opening day, a 3-0 defeat to Albania and a 4-0 loss in the reverse fixture against Thursday’s opponents.
Roberto Cevoli’s side eventually got on the scoresheet against Albania last time out but failed to hold on for a draw, conceding a stoppage-time penalty to suffer a 2-1 defeat. They have now fallen seven points adrift of the promotion playoff places with just two games remaining and are set for an immediate return to the lowest division next season.
Belarus, on the other hand, have plenty to fight for, as they are level on points with third-placed Finland and could potentially move to the top of the group with a victory on Thursday.
After failing to score in the opening two rounds, the White Wings found their scoring touch in the third and fourth rounds, breezing past Thursday’s hosts before holding on to an early first-minute goal to secure a narrow 1-0 victory over Finland last time out. Now in their fourth consecutive season in League C, the visitors will fancy their chances of finally securing promotion this term.
San Marino vs Belarus Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Belarus have won all three previous meetings between these sides by an aggregate score of 11-0.
- Only Georgia, North Macedonia and Liechtenstein have scored fewer goals in the Nations League this season than San Marino, who have found the net just once.
- The hosts also hold the worst defensive record in the competition, having conceded 16 goals in four matches.
- San Marino are currently ranked 211th in the FIFA World Rankings, while Belarus occupy 94th place.
San Marino vs Belarus Prediction
As is often the case, the odds are stacked heavily against San Marino, and the hosts will need to produce a truly exceptional performance to avoid defeat in a competitive fixture for the first time since November 2024.
Belarus, meanwhile, should only need to guard against complacency to claim all three points, with their impressive defensive form providing a considerable boost to their chances.
Prediction: San Marino 0-3 Belarus
San Marino vs Belarus Betting Tips
Tip 1 – Result: Belarus to win
Tip 2 – Goals – Over/Under 2.5 – Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3 – Both teams to score: No
Edited by Peter Pedroncelli
