San Marino vs Cyprus prediction, H2H and probable lineups – 12 October 2025
On Sunday, October 12, as part of the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers in Group H, San Marino will host Cyprus. Kick-off is scheduled for 15:00 Central European Time. Let’s take a closer look at the likely winner of this showdown.
San Marino
The San Marino national team failed to build on the earlier momentum it showed in the Nations League. Back then, the team confidently topped their League D campaign, finishing above Liechtenstein and Gibraltar to earn a well-deserved promotion to League C. However, the World Cup qualifiers have proven to be a far greater challenge. From the very first rounds, it became clear that the level of competition here is much higher.
In their opening match, San Marino lost away to Cyprus 0-2, followed by a heavy 1-5 defeat at home to Romania—though they did manage a consolation goal against the higher-ranked opponent. The losing streak continued: a 0-1 loss to Bosnia, a 0-4 thrashing by Austria, another heavy 0-6 defeat to Bosnia, and a crushing 0-10 loss to Austria in their most recent game.
As a result, San Marino have now lost eight matches in a row, including friendlies played between qualifying rounds. Unsurprisingly, they sit bottom of the table with zero points. Over this stretch, San Marino have scored just once and conceded 28 goals, again highlighting the massive gulf in class.
Cyprus
The Cyprus national team are also going through a rough patch, enduring a lengthy winless run. The team haven't won in six straight matches across all competitions, including friendlies. In the Nations League, Cyprus played in League C, where results were inconsistent: they managed two wins over Lithuania but lost the rest. Still, that was enough to retain their spot in League C and avoid relegation.
In World Cup qualifying, Cyprus started with an expected victory over San Marino, but then followed up with three defeats and two draws. However, the team showed clear improvement in recent rounds: against Romania and Bosnia, Cyprus showed real character, twice coming back from 0-2 down to secure 2-2 draws.
Nonetheless, Cyprus have no chance of advancing from the group—the gap to Bosnia is eight points, and it’s impossible to make up that deficit in the remaining matches. In head-to-head clashes with San Marino, Cyprus have total domination: eight wins in eight matches, conceding just once.
Probable lineups
- San Marino: Colombo, Tozzi, Valentini, Cevoli, Matteoni, Zannoni, Capicchioni, Lazzari, Berardi, Nanni, Contadini.
- Cyprus: Michail, Anderson Correia, Laifis, Andreou, Shikkis, Artimatas, Kastanos, Loizou, Charalambous, Tzionis, Pittas.
Interesting facts and head-to-head
- San Marino have lost their last 8 matches.
- 6 of San Marino’s last 7 matches have seen over 2.5 goals.
- Cyprus have failed to win 7 of their last 8 matches.
- Cyprus have won all 8 previous head-to-head matches against San Marino.
San Marino vs Cyprus match prediction
San Marino remain the group’s perennial underdog, with no points and only one goal scored in the entire qualifying campaign. The team regularly suffers heavy defeats, clearly outclassed by every opponent. Cyprus, despite losing their chance to advance, have looked much improved in recent matches—showing real grit against Romania and Bosnia. That progress, combined with the desire to end their winless streak, should provide extra motivation for the Cypriots. Given Cyprus’s absolute dominance in head-to-head encounters and San Marino’s ongoing struggles, it’s logical to expect a confident victory for the visitors. My pick for this match is Cyprus to win with a -1.5 handicap at odds of 1.74.
