Euro 2020 Qualifying Cyprus vs Russia Odds & Pick: Russia on Brink of Booking Qualification​

• Russia can qualify for the finals of Euro 2020 with a point against Cyprus
• Cypriots have been lifted by victory away in Kazakhstan
• Read below for Group I odds, stats and betting prediction

Russia can qualify for the finals of Euro 2020 by taking just a point away from  home on Sunday but Cyprus could be stubborn opponents.

The Russian team has won six straight matches in Group I qualifying after an opening game defeat by World Cup semi-finallists Belgium, who lead the table.

Cyprus were only narrowly defeated 1-0 when they met Russia in Nizhny Novgorod in June and are well set up to keep things tight in the clash this weekend (Sunday, October 13, GSP Stadium, Nicosia, 12 noon EST).

Euro 2020 Group I Cyprus v Russia Odds

*Odds taken at 2019/10/12

The analysts price Russia at -189 to win with Cyprus at + 480. The visitors should win with the prize of a place in the finals on offer. However, the draw, rated at +290, may offer good value.

Second-placed Behind  Belgium

Russia are second in the group with 18 points. Cyprus are third with 10 points.

But the home team will be in buoyant mood after their 2-1 win away in Kazakhstan last Thursday (October 10).

Russia have scored slightly more freely away from home but have not been so prolific on their own turf – with the 9-0 victory against the tiny principality of San Marino in Saransk last June to be discounted from any serious analysis because of the weakness of the opposition.

In Russia, they defeated Cyprus 1-0 and Kazakhastan by the same score.

Zyuba is the second leading goal-getter in the competition behind Eran Zhavi of Isreal, who has 10.

Last Thursday’s 4-0 defeat of a struggling Scotland side in Moscow was more fruitful, with Zenit St Petersburg striker Artem Dzyuba scoring twice to take his tally in the group to eight goals.

Zyuba is the second leading goal-getter in the competition behind Eran Zhavi of Isreal, who has 10.

But Scotland are a poor team who had lost their three prior qualifying matches and are now second-from-bottom in the table.

Cyprus and Russia have met four times before with three wins for Russia and one draw.

Four Points from Kazakhstan

The Cypriots 2-1 defeat of Kazakhstan followed two wins against San Marino; 5-0 at home in March and 4-0 away in September.

It as been a decent feat to take four points from Kazakhstan.

Cyprus beats Kazakhstan in match for Euro 2020 qualifiers https://t.co/nnahB4CyYf #CNA

— Cyprus News Agency (@cnainenglish) October 10, 2019

In their home ties, they have conceded just three times. As well as the clean sheet at home against San Marino and the single goal conceded in the 1-1 draw with Kazakhstan, they were beaten 2-0 by table-toppers Belgium in March.

Defender Ioannnis Kousoulos of the Cypriot First Division club Omonia Nicosia is his nation’s leading scorer in the group with four goals.

A narrow 2-1 defeat in Scotland in June confirmed their defensive tightness.

Defender Ioannnis Kousoulos of the Cypriot First Division club Omonia Nicosia is his nation’s leading scorer in the group with four goals.

The team came from a goal down to win in Kazakhstan last week, with the goals coming from Pieros Sotiriou and Nicholas Ioannou.

Cyprus have never qualified for either the European Championships final tournament or the World Cup.

Russia were the inaugural winners of the European Championships in 1960 and runners-up in the final against the Netherlands in 1988.

They were quarterfinalists in the World Cup staged on their own soil in 2018 where they lost on penalties against eventual finallists Croatia.

Pick: Russia (-185)