Preview: Montenegro vs. Cyprus - prediction, team news, lineups

Montenegro and Cyprus will lock horns in the UEFA Nations League on Friday night.

The pair are competing in Group 2 of League C alongside Armenia and Latvia, with all four battling to secure first spot in the section and automatic promotion to League B.

Match preview

Montenegro played in League B of the Nations League in 2022-23 and 2024-25, but relegation last time out has dropped them into League C for the 2026-27 tournament.

The Brave Falcons have a record of nine wins, three draws and 12 defeats from their 24 matches in the Nations League, and they will be bidding to top a section which also involves Cyprus, Latvia and Armenia.

Montenegro, who are ranked 80th in the world by FIFA, were last in action on June 5, playing out a 2-2 draw with Slovakia in an international friendly.

Mirko Vucinic's side have won two and lost just one of their last four matches, while their last competitive victory came at the end of 2025 against Gibraltar in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.

Montenegro have faced Cyprus on five previous occasions and are unbeaten against them, boasting a record of three draws and two defeats.

Cyprus faced Montenegro twice in the Nations League at the end of 2020, losing 2-0 at home and 4-0 away, so revenge will be on their minds in this match.

Akis Mantzios' side will bring a three-game unbeaten run into this match, including a 2-0 success over Liechtenstein in their last match on June 7.

Cyprus' last competitive match was against Austria at the end of 2025, losing 2-0 in their final 2026 World Cup qualification fixture.

The national team have featured in League C since the Nations League started, and their overall record in the competition is six wins, six draws and 14 defeats from 26 matches.

Cyprus will tackle Montenegro on Friday, before finishing the month away to Latvia; in October, Mantzios' side will take on Armenia and Latvia at home.

Montenegro form (all competitions):

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Cyprus form (all competitions):

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Team News

Montenegro are once again expected to have Stevan Jovetic in the final third of the field; the 36-year-old has scored 37 times in 91 caps for the national side.

Milutin Osmajic has nine goals for Montenegro and is also expected to start, while there should be a spot in the middle of the midfield for Sead Haksabanovic.

Stefan Savic should also be a notable starter in the middle of the defence.

Cyprus, meanwhile, have handed first international call-ups to Marcus Edwards, Leonidas Konomis and Nicholas Tsaroulla, with the trio potentially making their debuts in the current break.

Burnley's Edwards qualifies for Cyprus through his mother, and the 27-year-old is expected to be in the starting side for the visitors in this contest.

Yerevan's Pyunik striker Iasonas Pikis was surprisingly left out of the squad despite enjoying a strong start to the Armenian league season, scoring four goals and registering three assists in seven games.

Montenegro possible starting lineup:

Petkovic; Vesovic, Savic, Vujacic, Radunovic; Jankovic, Haksabanovic, Loncar; Jovetic, Osmajic, Krstovic

Cyprus possible starting lineup:

Mall; Pileas, Sielis, Siikkis, Konomis; Kastanos, H Kyprianou, Andreou; Edwards, Pittas, Loizou

We say: Montenegro 2-2 Cyprus

This should be an open and entertaining contest considering that both teams have a lot of quality in the final third of the field, but we are struggling to pick a winner on Friday night.