Cyprus had plenty of the ball against Latvia in their last meeting, but the scoreboard stayed blank. That makes the rematch a test of what happens after Cyprus reaches the attacking third: can those possessions become cleaner chances, or can Latvia keep steering them into low-value shots? Latvia has its own problem to solve when it wins the ball back. I’d watch the first useful pass out of pressure before I’d read much into the shot count.
The previous meeting finished 0–0. Cyprus recorded 18 shots, five on target and 1.20 xG; Latvia had eight shots, none on target and 0.75 xG. In their following games, Cyprus beat Armenia despite taking only eight shots, while Latvia took 14 against Montenegro but put just two on target in a defeat. Different opponents, different game states, so those totals are clues to watch rather than a forecast.
