Armenia vs Montenegro: Early Group Leadership Goes on the Line in Yerevan

What happens when two sides arrive at the second round with three points already secured? Armenia and Montenegro meet in Yerevan with the Group C2 lead at stake after both opened the 2026/27 Nations League with victories. Armenia defeated Latvia 2-0, while Montenegro came from behind to beat Cyprus 2-1. UEFA’s official Matchday 2 preview specifically identifies the encounter as a meeting for first place in the group. Armenia have home advantage at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, where their opening victory was also achieved. Montenegro, meanwhile, travel knowing that another positive result would strengthen the position created by their opening-night win. The unusually quick turnaround between the two fixtures also makes recovery and squad management part of the competitive picture.

Armenia’s 2-0 victory over Latvia provided a useful platform for Yeghishe Melikyan, but the coach acknowledged before this match that injuries have affected his squad and that the short preparation period presents another challenge. Georgii Arutiunian opened the scoring against Latvia before Artur Gharibyan added the second, giving Armenia a controlled start to the campaign. Eduard Spertsyan remains an important creative presence in the Armenian midfield, while Ognjen Čančarević provides experience behind the defensive line. Montenegro possess a different attacking reference in Nikola Krstović, who scored against Cyprus, with Milutin Osmajić also finding the net in that comeback victory. The visitors also have experienced figures such as Stefan Savić, Marko Janković and Stevan Jovetić within their squad. That combination gives the contest a clear tactical contrast between Armenia’s home control and Montenegro’s ability to threaten through experienced attacking players.

The injury situation is one of the more important pieces of confirmed information before kickoff, particularly for Armenia. The Armenian Football Federation’s squad announcement confirmed that Vahan Bichakhchyan, Finn Geragusian, Grant-Leon Ranos, David Davidyan, Kamo Hovhannisyan, Hovhannes Harutyunyan, Henry Avagyan and Norberto Briasco Balekian would not join the national team because of injuries. Montenegro also entered the international window without Adam Marušić, while Sead Hakšabanović was reported unavailable for the four Nations League matches because of a hamstring injury and Andrija Ražnatović was ruled out with an injury. The Montenegrin squad was subsequently supplemented by Marko Perović after Ražnatović’s absence. These are the absences that can be supported by published squad and team information rather than speculative predicted lineups. No questionable player is included where a current official confirmation could not be established.

The pre-match discussion in Armenia has centred on the importance of taking advantage of the opening victory and the opportunity to finish the first two rounds at the top of the group. Melikyan said before the match that Armenia want to win the group and described victory against Montenegro as crucial to that objective. Montenegro arrive with their own evidence of resilience after recovering from an early deficit against Cyprus, although their squad has been affected by several absences. The official fixture schedule also creates an unusual continuation to this rivalry, because the teams are due to meet again in Montenegro on October 5. For this first meeting, the immediate issue is simpler: both sides have three points, and both know that another result can change the shape of Group C2 after only two rounds. The final starting XIs had not yet been officially announced at the time of publication, so this article deliberately avoids presenting predicted elevens as confirmed team news.

🩺 Confirmed Injury & Absence Report

The tables below contain only named players whose absence is supported by published squad, federation or team information. No speculative injuries have been added.

⭐ Key Personnel Before the Official XIs

The official starting lineups had not been released at the time of this pre-match article. To avoid presenting predictions as confirmed team news, the table below lists documented key personnel from the official squads and opening-round action instead.

🗞️ The Story Around the Match

• Group position: Both Armenia and Montenegro won their opening Group C2 fixture, leaving this meeting as a direct contest between the two early leaders.
• Armenia’s opening: Armenia defeated Latvia 2-0 in Yerevan through goals from Georgii Arutiunian and Artur Gharibyan.
• Montenegro’s response: Montenegro overturned a deficit to defeat Cyprus 2-1, with Nikola Krstović and Milutin Osmajić scoring.
• Coaching message: Armenia coach Yeghishe Melikyan described victory as crucial to the team’s stated ambition of winning the group.
• Squad management: Both teams have confirmed injury absences, making the depth of each squad relevant during a demanding run of Nations League fixtures.
• Next chapter: The teams will meet again in Montenegro on October 5, only one week after this encounter.

Armenia vs Montenegro — Match Facts

• Competition: UEFA Nations League 2026/27 — League C, Group 2
• Date: 28 September 2026
• Venue: Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan
• Kick-off: 18:00 CET
• Armenia’s previous result: Armenia 2-0 Latvia
• Montenegro’s previous result: Montenegro 2-1 Cyprus
• Group situation: Both teams entered Matchday 2 with three points
• Official starting XIs: Not yet announced at the time of publication