Stadium: Astana Arena (Nursultan)
Kazakhstan and Finland sit at the bottom of Group D. Who will improve their position after a head-to-head clash between the underdogs of World Cup 2022 qualifiers? We predict that the Suomi representatives will be stronger!
Kazakhstan
The Kazakh team has never qualified for major international tournaments and will not do so in the foreseeable future. The Hawks qualified for the 22nd World Cup, but even that wasn’t good enough to put them in a real fight for a trip to Qatar. In six games, the Kazakhs lost three times in three draws: twice, they drew 1-1 and 2-2 with Ukraine, and once again, they lost 2-2 to Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a result, Kazakhstan’s squad is last in Group D.
Finland
The Finland national team have been having a great time in their history. Last summer, they got their first-ever selection for Euro 2020, where they beat eventual semi-finalists Denmark 1-0 but failed to advance from the group. Suomi representatives are not so successful in their current qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2022. Yes, it all started well for them when they drew with Bosnia and Ukrainians 2-2 and 1-1 respectively, and then beat the Kazakhs 1-0. Alas, that was the end of their exploits, as they then lost to France and Ukraine 0-2 and 1-2, respectively, dropping to the last but one spot in Group D.
Expert Betting Tips
Kazakhstan and Finland come into their encounter at the bottom of Group D. Both squads have not been at their best in qualifying. The Kazakhs initially had no realistic chance of clinching a trip to Qatar. At the same time, the Suomi representatives still hope to fight for second place to qualify for the knockout stage. They will need to pull off a miracle win against France in a month, but as long as they have a chance of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, they will use it. As a result, a bet on Finland’s victory for 1.90 is a good option.
Finland and Kazakhstan are having a lot of fun in their recent qualifying matches. In six games, the Kazakhs have scored 15 goals (2.50 goals per game on average), and the Finns have had 12 goals scored in five games (2.40 goals per game on average). The only exception to this was their head-to-head encounter, in which the Suomi side secured a 1-0 win. This encounter is not productive in itself, as the opponents scored just six goals (1.50 on average per game) in their four previous meetings. On this basis, the best option for the prediction seems to be Total Under (2) goals for 2.06.
Teemu Pukki is the main star of the Finnish national team. Yes, he has not been the most productive player this season, but he has scored 66 goals in his three previous seasons with Norwich, which is a magnificent record, one of the best in English football during that span. He has been equally impressive for his national side, scoring 14 goals in his last 15 UEFA EURO 2020 and UEFA EURO 2022 qualifiers games. The 31-year-old goalscorer is obviously in excellent form, so a bet on Teemu Pukka’s goal at around 2.50 is worth considering.