Latvia face challenge of resurgent Israel

Latvia will have to rein in a revived Israel in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group F as they bid to improve on their 2-1 loss away to the same opponents on 26 March.

• Luis Fernandez's charges enjoyed the lion's share of the chances against Latvia but still needed Beram Kayal's 81st-minute header to seal the points, after Kaspars Gorkšs had cancelled out Elyaniv Barda's early opener.

• Israel beat Georgia 1-0 three days later to move up to third in Group F, within a point of leaders Greece.

• Latvia have yet to win at home in Group F, recording a draw and a defeat in their two games to date. Israel's away record in the section is identical: P2 W0 D1 L1.

• The teams have met on five previous occasions, with Latvia's record in those matches reading W1 D1 L3 (W0 D1 L1 at home).

• They first met in a friendly game in Riga on 17 May 1998 which Israel won 5-1. A further friendly in Jerusalem on 24 February 1999 ended in a 2-0 win for the hosts.

• Latvia got the better of their encounters in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying. On 15 October 2008, they drew 1-1 in Riga, Vladimirs Kolesņičenko cancelling out Yossi Benayoun's opener.

• Latvia then pulled off something of a surprise in the return fixture, Gorkšs scoring the only goal to earn them a 1-0 victory in Tel Aviv on 5 September 2009. That strike ended Israel's 15-year unbeaten home run in World Cup qualifiers.