Match report
Edwards strikes in stoppage time as Cyprus stun Latvia
Cyprus came from behind to beat Latvia 2-1 at GSP Stadium in League C - 4 of the UEFA Nations League, with a stoppage-time winner sealing the turnaround. The scoreline finished level at the break, with neither side able to find a breakthrough in a goalless first half.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
Latvia broke the deadlock in the 57th minute when Eduards Dašķevičs converted an assist from Vladislavs Gutkovskis to make it 1-0. Cyprus responded within 13 minutes as Giannis Kosti levelled the match at 1-1 in the 70th minute, setting up a tense finish. The decisive moment arrived deep into added time, when Marcus Edwards struck in the 90+4th minute, teed up by Nicholas Tsaroulla, to put the home side 2-1 ahead and settle the contest.
Cyprus dominated for long periods, controlling 62 percent of possession and producing 19 shots to Latvia's 12, with seven of those finding the target compared to just one for the visitors. The match produced three goals in total, with the result lifting Cyprus to second in the group standings on seven points, while Latvia remained fourth with a single point from four games.
Marcus Edwards scored the late winner for Cyprus and finished with a rating of 8.2, the highest of any player on the pitch.
Cyprus's dominance was reflected in their shots on target tally, landing seven compared to Latvia's single effort.
Cyprus beat Latvia 2–1 (half-time 0–0).
Cyprus met Latvia in the UEFA Nations League (League C - 4). Kick-off was Monday, 5 October 2026, 16:00 UTC at GSP Stadium. Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili.
Team pages: Cyprus · Latvia · UEFA Nations League
Key moments
- 57' Goal: Eduards Dašķevičs (assist: Vladislavs Gutkovskis) — 0–1
- 70' Goal: Giannis Kosti — 1–1
- 90+4' Goal: Marcus Edwards (assist: Nicholas Tsaroulla) — 2–1 · Watch Marcus Edwards's goal video (90+4')
Starting line-ups
Cyprus (4-2-3-1)
Latvia (5-4-1)
- 23 Rihards Matrevics
- 14 Andrejs Cigaņiks
- 2 Daniels Balodis
- 4 O. Vientiess
- 21 Deniss Meļņiks
- 13 Raivis Jurkovskis
- 17 Markuss Strods
- 15 Dmitrijs Zelenkovs
- 10 Lūkass Vapne
- 7 Eduards Dašķevičs
- 9 Vladislavs Gutkovskis (c)
Sirius · Why these numbers
Before kick-off Sirius gave Cyprus 54%, the draw 27%, Latvia 19%. It finished Cyprus 2–1 Latvia.
Cyprus' control of the ball swings it — Cyprus are a shade stronger on our strength rating, and their control of the ball on top gives Cyprus the lean. The draw at 27% is about what a gap this size usually leaves.
Why Cyprus at 54%?
Cyprus sit 47 points higher on our strength rating — 1361 to 1315. Sides with a 40–80-point rating edge at home won 50.1% of 10,336 such games. Cyprus hold 8 more possession points (48 to 40 in recent games) — and between equals, control has been worth something. Between evenly-matched sides, home teams with this control edge won 48.2% of 5,120 games, vs 43.9% when styles were level.
Why only 54%?
No scored evidence points the other way. 54% is what this rating gap has been worth in games like these; the rest is the draw at 27% and Latvia at 19%.
Why is the draw second, ahead of the Latvia win?
With a rating gap this size the draw starts at 26.9%. These teams' recent games average 2.5 goals — a typical goals environment. Games in that environment drew 26.5% of 28,263. The goals environment adds 1.2 points to the draw.
What did we measure but not count?
Last five: Cyprus L-D-W, Latvia L-D-L — Cyprus are clearly the hotter side on recent results. Between equals, recent form told us almost nothing: the home side won 43.3% of 1900 games when clearly hotter and 43.7% of 3633 when clearly colder. Cyprus (11 fully-tracked matches with us) and Latvia (11) carry strength ratings anchored to the official international ratings list, so the class read stands on far more than our own short records. National sides play too few games for a record built from scratch, so their rating chain starts from the published international ratings instead of a blind first guess.
Sirius probabilities, frozen at kick-off. Analysis, not betting advice. How Sirius is doing this season · Full breakdown, evidence cards and squad news in the Match Insights tab
About this match
On this page: the Cyprus vs Latvia final score and result, goal highlights and video clips of every goal, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this UEFA Nations League fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
Watch the goals: goal highlights and video clips of every goal from Cyprus 2–1 Latvia. Explore more on the Cyprus and Latvia team pages or the UEFA Nations League page.