Will the Ay-Yildizlilar live up to their role as favorites?
On Tuesday evening in Pristina, it will be decided who wins Path C of the European World Cup qualifiers and thus secures a ticket to the big tournament. This would be a huge deal for both nations. While Kosovo would qualify for a major tournament for the first time ever, it would mark the Turks’ first World Cup appearance since 2002.
Generally speaking, the prediction for Kosovo vs. Turkey is that the Ay-Yildizlilar will come out on top, especially given the favorable circumstances. After all, the Dardanians have lost all previous international matches against the Turks.
Nevertheless, the Kosovar squad under Franco Foda has certainly shown promise. In Qualifying Group B, the Dardanians finished ahead of Slovenia and Sweden, conceding just five goals in six matches. And in the playoff semifinals, the Blue-Whites secured a 4-3 away win in Slovakia, though their defense wasn’t always rock-solid.
Considering that the Turks, in turn, scored 17 goals in six World Cup qualifying matches, the playoff final could very well be a high-scoring affair. In our view, the most interesting aspect of the Kosovo vs. Turkey prediction is that the Ay-Yildizlilar will score at least two goals in regulation time.
In particular, the young guns in the Turkish attack led by Arda Güler and Kenan Yildiz could certainly give Kosovo a run for their money, especially since captain Hakan Calhanoglu turns every single free kick the Ay-Yildizlilar earn in the opponent’s half into a potential scoring opportunity. Although Turkey’s semifinal match was relatively quiet in their 1-0 win over Romania, the Turks scored twice in each of their four previous international matches—including the 2-2 draw against European champions Spain.
In our view, those looking for higher odds on Kosovo vs. Turkey and who aren’t afraid to take a corresponding risk will find some value in betting that the Turkish team will score in both halves.
Kosovo – Turkey Head-to-Head Record
Head to Head: 0 – 0 – 2
Officially, only two international matches have taken place between the two nations, dating back to the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Back then, the Turks recorded a 2-0 home win in the first leg in Antalya, before also winning the return leg, which took place in Shkodra, Albania, by a score of 4-1.
In addition, there was an unofficial friendly match played in Mitrovica in 2014. Back then, the Ay-Yildizlilar even managed a 6-1 victory over the Kosovar national team.
Kosovo – Turkey Prediction
Basically, our prediction for Kosovo vs. Turkey is that the Ay-Yildizlilar will secure their World Cup ticket, although it should not be underestimated that the Kosovar team has home-field advantage on their side.
Under Franco Foda, the Dardanians have also posted very good results recently and remained unbeaten for six consecutive matches (four wins, two draws), even though they faced no lightweights in European soccer during that period, including Slovakia, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Sweden. However, the Turks have also been impressive recently, even holding European champions Spain to a 2-2 draw in one of their last five international matches (four wins, one draw).
It is striking that the Ay-Yildizlilar scored 17 goals in six World Cup qualifying matches. Given that the Kosovar defense already conceded three goals in the playoff semifinals against Slovakia, we therefore see the greatest value in the prediction that the Turks will score at least two goals in Pristina.
