Nicolato says Latvia play ‘a different level of football’ before Montenegro game

Latvia play their penultimate UEFA Nations League group game away to Montenegro in Podgorica on Thursday, 12 November, at 21:45 Riga time. Head coach Paolo Nicolato defended his side at the pre-match press conference, saying they play better than one point from four games suggests.

‘That is not how I judge’

Asked whether October’s 2-1 home defeat by Montenegro had been Latvia’s best performance of the campaign, Nicolato said it had. “It is very easy to judge by the result of a game — it requires absolutely no knowledge. If you win, it is good; if you lose, it is bad. But that is not how I judge the team’s performance,” he said, according to the Latvian sports site sportacentrs.com.

The Italian said that in his three years in charge Latvia had been playing “a different level of football”, even though competing at this level is hard for objective reasons. He said the only gap between Latvia and their opponents was in the decisive moments, citing the last game in Cyprus. “At this level, give your opponent three chances and you will concede. We have to be like our opponents.”

Ikaunieks on the flank, Cirkins where needed

Nicolato said Latvia attack in a 3-4-3. Jānis Ikaunieks is best used on the flank between the lines in support of the strikers, he said, while Dennis Cirkins is at his best as a wing-back or wide midfielder but can also play in a back three. The coach admitted there were problems at centre-back and that his line-up could change from game to game.

Group title at stake for the hosts

Montenegro are unbeaten in four games and lead the group with 10 points. They can clinch first place and promotion to League B tonight if they take more points than Cyprus, who play in Armenia at the same time. Montenegro coach Mirko Vučinić said his side must stay focused. “Latvia can only be dangerous if we allow them to be. They will look for chances to counter-attack.”

The top two places are already out of Latvia’s reach, so the real fight for third comes on Sunday, 15 November, when Armenia visit the Skonto Stadium in Riga at 16:00. LTV7, the Latvian public broadcaster’s sports channel, will show the game in Podgorica.

Match centre

• Nations League: fixtures and results