Montenegro will look to salvage its World Cup hopes when it takes on Moldova on Tuesday.
Once the top teams in Group H, Montenegro currently sits in third and could wind up as low as fourth if it unfavorable results plague the team on Tuesday. Montenegro can still finish in second place in the group, but has little hopes of realizing this goal.
The team has 15 points and trails the Ukraine by three. Even if the Ukraine lost its Tuesday game in San Marino and Montenegro took down Moldova, the team would still need to overcome the 12 goal difference with Ukraine; Montenegro would need the Ukraine to lose by a substantial total against San Marino. In turn, Montenegro would have to put up a big scoreline against Moldova. Those in need of a reality check simply need to know a few things. San Marino has only scored one goal in nine qualifying matches; it has lost all of its games while conceding a UEFA-high 48 goals. Ukraine destroyed San Marino 9-0 last month. Montenegro defeated Moldova 1-0 at home and has never scored more than six goals in a game during the qualifiers.
All of this points to Montenegro finishing out of the running regardless of whether the Ukraine and England both lose (an unlikely proposition).
Moldova has two wins, two draws, and five losses in qualifying rounds. It has scored seven goals while conceding seven.
Prediction: Montenegro wins 5-0.
Start Time: Kick-off starts at 3 p.m. EST