Nicolato ahead of home match: changes expected in Latvia's lineup after Armenia setback

Latvia national football team head coach Emiliano Nicolato said the squad is disappointed following its away match in Armenia, but stressed the need to stay strong and accept the challenge ahead. His comments were cited by the Latvian Football Federation.

Asked whether changes to the starting lineup should be expected for tomorrow's match, Nicolato confirmed they would happen. He explained that the team cannot play four consecutive matches with the same lineup, calling it too demanding both mentally and physically, since the pace of such matches is higher than some players are used to. He also noted the squad needs to expand its pool of usable players to 25, since the team currently cannot rely on just a handful of players.

Assessing the strategy

Regarding the tactics used against Armenia, Nicolato said that while the plan seemed sound before the match, hindsight revealed things that were not done correctly. The team had not intended to sit in such a deep defensive block, but that is how the match unfolded. He said the lessons learned would be applied to improve performance in upcoming matches, particularly in the attacking phase.

Nicolato said he is searching for balance between attacking potential and defensive stability, acknowledging that playing higher up the pitch creates defensive problems, while sitting deeper reduces the team's sharpness going forward.

Comparing the upcoming opponent to Armenia, the coach said both national teams have quality players but play different styles — the upcoming opponent favoring a more direct, vertical approach, while Armenia preferred short combinations on the ground. Playing at home, Latvia will aim to be more aggressive and involve new players.

Nicolato emphasized that the team works extremely hard and deserves better results, adding that the current results are not due to any wrong attitude from the players.