Will the hosts hold off the Norwegian attack? Kazakhstan vs Norway Prediction
One of the matches in the first round of the UEFA Nations League will be played on Friday at the Almaty Ortalyk Arena, where Kazakhstan will host Norway. Here’s a prediction for the match from the Dailysports expert team.
Kazakhstan
The Kazakhstan national team is currently on a four-match losing streak. Their most disappointing defeat came against Luxembourg (1:2), where Kazakhstan was close to winning but suffered a shocking loss. The team has also lost to Armenia (1:2) and Azerbaijan (2:3) in other friendlies, highlighting their ongoing struggles.
Despite these setbacks, Kazakhstan showed a decent level of play in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, hinting at a possible spot among the top teams. Ultimately, they finished fourth in their group, largely due to poor performances in the final rounds. Their high ranking in the Nations League granted them a playoff spot, but they fell short in their first match against Greece, losing 0:5 after a disastrous first half.
Norway
Norway failed to reach the playoff stage of the European Championship qualifiers, finishing third in their group, significantly trailing behind Scotland and Spain. The team struggled defensively, conceding almost as many goals as they scored over eight rounds of qualification.
In this calendar year’s friendlies, Norway has shown slightly better results than Kazakhstan. Their only win in four matches was a 3:0 victory over Kosovo. They lost to the Czech Republic (1:2) and Denmark (1:3), and drew with Slovakia (1:1).
Interesting Facts and Head-to-Head History
- The teams have not previously met.
- In four of Norway's last five matches, the "Both Teams to Score" bet was successful.
- The "Both Teams to Score" bet also won in the last three matches involving Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan vs Norway Prediction
Bookmakers consider Norway the clear favorite, offering odds of 1.43 for an away win. Given Kazakhstan’s difficulties in defending against attacking teams, a “Norway to Win with a -1.0 Handicap” bet at odds of 1.68 appears to be a solid choice.
