David Flower
Dailysports's expert
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On Tuesday, the second-round match of the third stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers will take place at the Kuwait International Stadium, where Kuwait will host Iraq. Here's a forecast for the match from the Dailysports expert team.
Kuwait
The "Blues" did not participate in the Asian Cup this winter, having failed to qualify. Kuwait also faced significant challenges in the second stage of World Cup qualification, losing three matches. However, the team managed to finish strong in the last two rounds, securing a crucial draw away against India and a key home victory over Afghanistan. These results allowed Kuwait to overtake Afghanistan and finish second in their group with seven points, behind Qatar.
In the first round of the third stage of 2026 World Cup qualification, Kuwait played away against Jordan and managed a 1-1 draw, equalizing in the second minute of added time, despite being outplayed for most of the match.
Iraq
The Iraqi national team had no issues during the second stage of qualification, showcasing complete dominance by winning all six of their matches and collecting the maximum 18 points. Iraq comfortably left Indonesia (10 points), Vietnam (6 points), and the Philippines (1 point) in their wake.
Iraq also participated in the Asian Cup this past winter, where they triumphed in the group stage by defeating Japan, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Despite this strong performance, they suffered a heartbreaking 2-3 loss to Jordan in the first knockout round, conceding two goals in added time.
In the first round of the third stage of World Cup qualification, Iraq hosted Oman and secured a narrow 1-0 victory.
Interesting Facts and Head-to-Head History
- Iraq has defeated Kuwait in their last two encounters.
- The "Both Teams to Score" bet has hit in three of their last five meetings.
- Only two of their last five matches have seen the "Over 2.5 Goals" bet hit.
Kuwait vs Iraq Prediction
Bookmakers give Iraq the edge in this match, offering odds of 1.65 for the visitors' victory. Iraq is in strong form and is expected to secure an away win.
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