Armenia vs Montenegro – News and Probable Lineups

Armenia and Montenegro will both seek to maintain their perfect starts in the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League when they meet at Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium on Monday.

The home side currently sits at the top of the group after achieving a 2-0 win in their opening fixture, while the visitors follow closely behind after securing a narrow 2-1 victory on matchday one.

Match overview

Armenia missed the opportunity to gain promotion to League B of the Nations League after finishing second in the previous season (2024-25), suffering a 9-1 aggregate defeat to Georgia in the playoff for promotion/relegation.

Following those two defeats, Armenia’s form deteriorated, as they went on to lose seven matches, draw three, and win only one of their subsequent 11 games across all competitions, which included finishing at the bottom of their World Cup qualifying group.

However, consecutive draws against Kazakhstan and Moldova in June brought an end to their five-game losing streak, and head coach Eghishe Melikyan’s team continued to build on those results last Friday.

Two goals from Georgiy Harutyunyan and Artur Gharibyan earned Armenia a 2-0 win over Latvia on matchday one in League C Group 2, placing Armenia at the top of the table on goal difference.

Melikyan will be aiming for his team to solidify their position at the pinnacle of the group with a win against Montenegro, which would mark their first instances of consecutive victories since their wins against Kazakhstan and Latvia in June and September 2024.

Conversely, Montenegro arrives at Monday’s match brimming with confidence following their victory on matchday one in the UEFA Nations League.

Under head coach Mirko Vucinic, who oversaw the team’s relegation from League B in 2024-25, Montenegro staged a comeback to clinch a 2-1 victory against Cyprus, with Milutin Osmajic netting a decisive winner in the 86th minute.

This win further extended Vucinic’s impressive tenure since taking over as Montenegro’s manager in 2025, where he has garnered five wins, one draw, and only three defeats in nine matches at the helm.

With aspirations to improve their record and surpass Armenia to claim the top position in Group 2, Montenegro will be targeting their first victory over Armenia since a 4-1 win in June 2017.

That victory remains Montenegro’s sole triumph over Armenia; they have suffered defeats in both previous away encounters with their hosts – 3-2 and 1-0.

Team News

Narek Hovhannisyan is uncertain for the match after leaving the field due to injury during the win against Latvia, which means Zhirayr Shaghoyan may step in on the left side for Armenia.

Harutyunyan, who netted Armenia’s opening goal in that victory, and Junior Julio also exited the match on Friday due to injuries, but both are expected to return to action on Monday.

Meanwhile, Vucinic is anticipated to name an unchanged lineup from the one that achieved victory against Cyprus on matchday one, featuring a forward trio of captain Stevan Jovetic alongside goalscorers Nikola Krstovic and Osmajic.

Additionally, the seasoned Stefan Savic will likely feature alongside Igor Vujacic in central defence.

Armenia probable starting XI:

Cancarevic; Bandikyan, Piloyan, Bueno, Harutyunyan, Tiknizyan; Serobyan, Iwu, Spertsyan, Shaghoyan; Orange

Montenegro probable starting XI:

Popovic; Roganovic, Savic, Vujacic, Gasevic; Jankovic, Bulatovic, Adzic; Osmajic, Krstovic; Jovetic

Both sides will head into this fixture with confidence following their respective wins on matchday one, and the expectation is that the quality of both teams will result in a tough contest that ends in a draw.