Slovenia vs Kazakhstan Prediction: 9/9/2024

An expanded European football championship has unfortunately led to more instances like Slovenia’s performance in Euro 2024. Despite qualifying for the tournament, Slovenia failed to win a single match.

However, they came close, notably when Benjamin Sesko missed a crucial chance in the second half, capitalizing on a poor pass from Pepe. Slovenia finished second in their Euro 2024 qualifying group with 22 points. In the previous Nations League, they played in League B, but could only manage a third-place finish with six points. Last Friday, Slovenia faced Austria, led by Kevin Danso.

Kazakhstan, on the other hand, impressed in League C during the last Nations League, finishing first in their group, 13 points ahead of second-placed Azerbaijan and third-placed Slovakia. This earned them promotion to League B. Though they performed decently in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, Kazakhstan ended up fourth with 18 points. Now focused on qualifying for their first-ever international tournament, Kazakhstan had suffered recent defeats against Armenia (2-1) and Azerbaijan (3-2) in June. They faced Norway at home last Friday.

Slovenia is led by their captain, Jan Oblak, who has been among the world’s best goalkeepers for nearly a decade and is set to earn his 70th cap. The other standout player is Benjamin Sesko (33 caps, 11 goals, RB Leipzig), a young forward with immense potential. Other key players include Kurtic (92 caps), Ilicic (17 goals in 83 caps), the dynamic striker Sporar, and Serie A players Stojanovic (Salernitana, 57 caps), Bijol (Udinese, 53 caps), and Lovric (Udinese, 35 caps). Some notable absentees include former goalkeeper Belec (21 caps) and defender Blazic (32 caps), as well as midfielders Verbic (Panathinaikos, 6 goals in 61 caps), Zajc (Toulouse, 8 goals in 39 caps), Zeljkovic, and Zugelj.

For Kazakhstan, two-thirds of the players in their current squad play in the local league. One of their standout players is defender Nurali Alip (31 caps, Zenit Saint Petersburg), who brings a strong defensive presence. Offensively, Bakhtiyar Zainutdinov is a key figure, boasting 14 goals in 36 matches for the national team and currently playing for Besiktas. Another threat comes from Abat Aymbetov, Kazakhstan’s top forward with 37 caps and 9 goals.

 

Prediction

While Kazakhstan may hope to spoil Slovenia’s promotion bid, their poor away record—winless in their last 15 second-tier matches, including five straight losses—makes an upset unlikely. Slovenia, on the other hand, has won eight of their last nine home matches at this level and looks poised for another victory.

Prediction: Slovenia 2-1 Kazakhstan