Match Preview: Finland 1-0 Kazakhstan Prediction and Betting Tips | World Cup – Qualification

Finland – Kazakhstan Prediction Prediction and Tips for today, September 4, 2021

Finland – Kazakhstan Match Preview

• Despite competing in their first major tournament this year (Euro 2020), 2021 hasn’t been so successful for Finland in terms of results on the pitch. Winning just one of their nine international fixtures of any description this year (D3, L5), the hosts’ poor form has stemmed from a lack of goalscoring that has seen them fail to score in five of their previous six fixtures (W1, D1, L4).
• A 0-0 friendly draw at home to Wales last time out highlighted that lack of quality in the final third as Finland failed to register a single shot on target! However at the back, the hosts at least remain sturdy, conceding just 0.8 goals on average across their last five outings, whilst the inclusion of some younger faces in this squad shines a light on the Nordic nation’s bright future.
• Kazakhstan picked up their second point from three World Cup Qualifying (WCQ) matches last time out thanks to a last gasp 96th minute equaliser at home to Ukraine. That late strike keeps the underdogs of Group D in contention as they push for an unlikely first World Cup finals spot, although their competitive record vs Finland (L2) suggests this clash will be yet another uphill battle.
• Winning just two of their last 17 competitive away fixtures (D4, L11), the visitors have conceded an average of 2.12 goals per match during that stint, highlighting their poor defensive record. FIFA’s 124th-ranked nation Kazakhstan have even failed to beat worst-ranked Andorra and Latvia during that spell!
• Players to watch: Kazakhstan’s Ruslan Valiullin netted a brace last time out vs Ukraine, whilst Finland’s Teemu Pukki has scored all three of his country’s WCQ goals so far.
• Hot stat: Kazakhstan haven’t produced a HT/FT victory in their last 25 WCQ matches, a run that started after a 3-1 win vs Andorra back in 2009.