The most exciting relegation battle from the UEFA Nations League in 2024 has reached its climax, where League C Group 4 Gibraltar will play Lithuania Group 1 of League C in a two-legged play-off. This upcoming match will be crucial for both teams to avoid relegation to League D in the next Nations League cycle; this sets the stage for a tense and hotly contested encounter. Overall, the Gibraltar vs. Lithuania match will be a visual treat for all football enthusiasts, and the game will be more competitive as both teams are hungry for a win to maintain their position in the league table. The first match was scheduled for March 21, 2024, at Estádio Algarve (Faro/Loulé), and the second match will take place on March 26, 2024, at S. Dariaus ir S. Girėno stadionas (Kaunas). Both teams are expected to field their best players and put on an exciting show.
Gibraltar’s UEFA Nations League journey has been fascinating, and their successful journey began in 2018. They first competed in European competition in 2014 and were drawn in Group D at UEFA Euro 2016. They qualified alongside Germany, Poland, Georgia, the Republic of Ireland, and Scotland. They eventually recorded their first win under UEFA in June 2014 against Malta with a score of 1–0. In the inaugural edition, Gibraltar secured road triumphs in Armenia and at home against Liechtenstein, setting the stage for a triumphant campaign in 2020. During this period of the campaign, Gibraltar won their league in Group D, went unbeaten, and earned a well-deserved promotion to League C. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic has left Gibraltar’s C League campaign unfinished, and they are now set to take on Lithuania. Despite many challenges, they fought harder and showed their full potential, so this upcoming game will be a real test of their ability to secure a league position.
Lithuania’s journey in the League of Nations has been a mixed bag of emotions, though it has faced many ups and downs. While they produced a phenomenal moment, they also struggled to find consistency in the game. Lithuania has never yet qualified for the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship but has participated in the Baltic Cup, a regional tournament held every two years between Lithuania and their Baltic rivals, Latvia and Estonia. This match against Gibraltar will be a crucial opportunity for them to prove their worth and avoid relegation.
Match Details – Gibraltar vs. Lithuania
First Leg
Event: UEFA Nations League Finals (Gibraltar vs. Lithuania)
Date: March 21, 2024 (Thursday)
Time: 12:45 PM PT |3:45 PM ET| 7:45 PM GMT | 1:15 AM IST (next day)
Venue: Estádio Algarve (Faro/Loulé)
Second Leg
Event: UEFA Nations League Finals (Gibraltar vs. Lithuania)
Date: March 26, 2024 (Tuesday)
Time: 10:00 AM PT |1:00 PM ET| 5:00 PM GMT | 10:30 PM IST
Venue: S. Dariaus ir S. Girėno stadionas (Kaunas)
Where to Watch 2024 UEFA Nations League Finals?
Watch the 2024 UEFA Nations League Final on Viaplay Sports 1 in the UK.
United States television viewers can watch the Finals on Fox Sports and Fubo TV.
To watch the UEFA Nations League Finals, Canadians can tune in to DAZN.
A live broadcast of the Finals will be provided by Optus Sport in Australia.
Predictions
Gibraltar vs. Lithuania
The first leg will see Lithuania travel away to take on Gibraltar, and the second leg will see Lithuania head back to their home turf. In this scenario, they would have to put in a balanced performance at home and on the road to grab the win and maintain their position. In qualifying for Euro 2024, Gibraltar did not perform well, losing each of their eight group matches, making them unlucky in the upcoming match. Lithuania, meanwhile, will be hoping to atone for their 1-0 loss to Cyprus and will not let this chance slip away. Both teams have collected only one point for zero wins, one draw, and five losses. Additionally, this will be their first meeting between these teams, making this game more competitive than any other. Gibraltar is on a losing streak in all competitions, and Lithuania has failed to win 18 of their last 19 matches in all competitions, resulting in a run of 13 losses and five draws since March 2022. Gibraltar has failed to find a . clean sheet in their last ten matches, while they have conceded 46 goals since beating Andorra 1-0 in November 2022.
Looking at their performance stats, Tjay De Barr is Gibraltar’s top scorer with one goal and zero assists, and Arvydas Novikovas is Lithuania’s top scorer with two goals and zero assists. In their team statistics, Lithuania recorded five goals, seven goals conceded, two clean sheets, and 17 shots on goal, while Gibraltar kept three clean sheets. Possible starting line-ups for Gibraltar are Coleing, Sergeant, R Chipolina, Olivero, J Chipolina, Ronan, Walker, Annesley, Casciaro, De Barr, and De Haro, and for Lithuania, Gertmonas, Lasickas, Girdvainis, Lekiatas, Sirvys, Slivka, Utkus, Gineitis, Novikovas, Paulauskas, and Cernych. Although both teams have similar performance levels in the UEFA Nations League, Lithuania is quite ahead of Gibraltar, as they will use the opportunity wisely. Although Gibraltar is great, they suffered back-to-back losses. Due to their overall performance and records, Lithuania will have a higher chance of winning this relegation battle from the UEFA Nations League in 2024.
