GROUP EIGHT Cyprus v Montenegro: CYPRUS WELCOME Montenegro to Larnaca coming off the back of a win and a draw, and in need of a good result to keep them in touch with the leading pack in the group.
Cyprus are just a point ahead of their opposition today and a win would see them catch Bulgaria in third, if Giovanni Trapattoni’s men prevail in Sofia.
In five matches the Cypriot side have won, lost and drawn three times, scoring four goals and conceding seven in the process. They lost 2-0 in Bulgaria in their last group match and another loss this evening will see their faint qualifying hopes disappear altogether.
Panathinaikos striker Michalis Konstantinou will captain Cyprus and will be partnered up front by Ethstafios Aloneftis. Leyton Orient playmaker James Demetriou will play his first World Cup match after he was included in the squad.
Montenegro have yet to win in this qualifying campaign – drawing three and losing twice, both times against Italy. They have scored three goals so far, two of those came courtesy of Roma striker Mirko Vucinic, who has recently signed a contract extension at the Serie A club which will keep him there until 2013. He has played just three of the Montenegro’s five qualifying matches to date, and is expected to start this evening.
Nineteen-year-old striker Stevan Jovetic has played in all five matches qualifying matches and has scored once.
He will almost certainly start having come off the back of a successful first season with Fiorentina. He scored twice in 26 league appearance for the Serie A side.
Montengro coach Zoran Filipovic will hope his strike force can improve as their last game in the group, against Georgia, ended in a scorless draw.
A draw will not do either side any favours if they are to have serious ambitions of challenging the bigger names sides in the group. Both sides will be aware of this so a full-blooded is expected in the Cyriot city this evening.
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