Malta vs Lithuania: Preview and Prediction for June 7, 2025 Clash

June 7, 2025 | 19:00 | Ta' Qali Stadium
World Cup 2026 Qualifiers – Matchday 3

Malta vs Lithuania: Bookmakers’ Odds

Malta

Malta has finished at the bottom of their World Cup qualifying group in each of the last seven cycles, and recent results suggest this trend will continue. After two defeats against Finland and Poland in March, the island nation finds itself struggling again in Group G.

Under the guidance of new head coach Emilio De Leo, appointed in January, Malta narrowly lost at home 0-1 to Finland and then suffered a 0-2 defeat away to Poland. The team failed to convert any of their eight shots on target across these two games, both of which also saw a Maltese player sent off.

Now trailing the top two teams in the group by four points, the "Reds" have never qualified for a major international tournament and face an uphill battle to reach the World Cup, having won only three out of 114 qualifying matches to date.

Currently ranked 169th in the FIFA rankings, Malta holds a modest record against Lithuania, with one win and two draws in their last three encounters, giving them some quiet hope of avoiding their 100th ever World Cup qualifying defeat this Saturday.

Adding to Malta’s motivation is Lithuania’s poor run — they have failed to win any of their last nine internationals, breaking an eight-game losing streak only by drawing 2-2 with Finland in their latest outing.

Lithuania

The "Tricolor" found themselves two goals down inside the first 17 minutes in their previous match, but goals from Armandas Kučys and Gvidas Gineitis at halftime earned them a point on home soil. Coach Edgaras Jankauskas’ side has scored in nine of their last 12 matches across all competitions.

Ranked 143rd by FIFA, Lithuania has also never qualified for a major tournament as an independent nation. Their best World Cup qualifying performance came in 1996 when they amassed 16 points from 10 games and finished third in their group.

Since 2012, Lithuania has failed to register a win in any of their last 13 World Cup qualifiers (3 draws, 10 losses), failing to score in nine of those matches, including each of the last five. Still, they earned four points from their previous two qualifiers against Malta, notably a 2-0 home victory in October 2016.

Malta vs Lithuania: Expected Lineups

Malta: Bonello; Z. Muscat, Carragher, Pepe; J. Mbong, Guilloume, Teuma, Satariano, Camenzuli, Nwoko, P. Mbong

Lithuania: Gertmonas; Sirvis, Kazukolovas, Girdvainis, Milasius; Matulavičius, Utkus; Dolznikov, Gineitis, Lasičkas; Kučys

Notably, Wigan defender James Carragher, son of Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, received Maltese citizenship in February through his grandfather and paternal grandmother. He made his international debut in March and will be available for selection again on Saturday.

However, Ilyas Chuaaref will serve the first of his two-match suspension after being sent off against Poland. Kurt Shaw and Gabriel Menz are also suspended but could return for the match against the Netherlands next Tuesday.

For Lithuania, veteran midfielder Fedir Chernykh is poised to become only the second player in the country's history to reach 100 international caps, currently trailing Saulius Mikoliūnas by just two appearances in the all-time list.

Malta vs Lithuania: Author’s Prediction

Expect a tightly contested game with few goals. Malta’s defense looked resilient even against strong teams like Poland and Finland, suggesting the hosts could keep a clean sheet at home. Lithuania, on the other hand, cannot be described as a prolific attacking side.