Montenegro vs Andorra – News and Probable Lineups

Montenegro is set to host Andorra at the Podgorica City Stadium this Friday evening, marking the first of two fixtures in this international break.

The Hrabri Sokoli recently faced a narrow defeat to Croatia, whereas Els Tricolors suffered a significant 4-0 loss against Finland.

Match overview

Having secured victory in their initial two matches, Montenegro ended up in fourth place in their World Cup qualifying group, extending their quest for a debut tournament appearance for at least another four years.

After losing five out of their eight qualifiers, Mirko Vucinic’s team wrapped up their qualification campaign seven points away from a playoff spot, ending with a 3-2 defeat against Croatia despite leading by two goals at one point.

Defensive irregularities have been a notable downside for Hrabri Sokoli, who have managed just one clean sheet in their last 18 games, conceding a total of 34 goals in that stretch.

Nonetheless, there’s a positive aspect to Montenegro’s mixed results; they have performed relatively well at home, claiming four wins from their last seven matches at the Podgorica City Stadium, losing only to higher-quality opponents like the Czech Republic and Croatia.

On the other hand, Andorra managed to gather just one point, resulting in a last-place finish in their World Cup qualifying group, and like Montenegro, they are still awaiting their first competition appearance.

Currently, Els Tricolors are enduring a 12-match winless streak in away games, with their last victory on the road dating back to a UEFA Nations League match against Liechtenstein, and since establishing themselves as a footballing nation in 1994, they have only claimed three away wins.

However, Andorra continues to be led by Koldo Alvarez, a former goalkeeper and currently the longest-serving head coach in international football, having held the position since February 2010.

Although they haven’t tasted victory in any competition since October 2024, Alvarez’s squad remains hopeful of breaking that trend in the upcoming week as they prepare to face Montenegro and San Marino during this break.

Team News

Montenegro has several players competing at the top level in European football, including Lazio’s Adam Marusic, Trabzonspor’s Stefan Savic, and Juventus prospect Vasilije Adzic, all of whom are expected to feature in the starting lineup on Friday.

It’s also highly probable that the captain and former Manchester City striker Stevan Jovetic, who made his 90th international appearance in the recent match against Croatia, will be in the starting XI.

Andorra is likely to field a youthful squad this Friday, having recently favored players like Biel Borra Font, Ian Oliveira, and Pau Babot in their recent games.

It remains to be seen who Alvarez will select for the goalkeeper position, as he has rotated through Iker Alvarez, Alex Ruiz, and Xisco Pires in the last three fixtures.

Montenegro probable starting XI:

Nikic; Radunovic, Tuci, Savic, Marusic; Jankovic, Bulatovic, Adzic, Vukotic; Krstovic, Jovetic

Andorra probable starting XI:

Alvarez; Borra Font, Llovera, Garcia, Oliveira, San Nicolas; Rodrigo Tapia, Vales, Babot, Cervos; Lopez

While both teams are experiencing a difficult period in terms of form, it seems that Montenegro possesses too much quality for Andorra to effectively contend with.

The Hrabri Sokoli are likely to feel disappointed by the outcome of their World Cup qualification campaign, and we anticipate their return to winning form before they take on Slovenia on Tuesday.