Preview: Moldova vs. Kazakhstan – prediction, team news, lineups

To resolve their UEFA Nations League destiny for the 2022-23 season, worldwide minnows Moldova and Kazakhstan meet in Chisinau on Thursday.

The competitors’s first two-legged ‘play-outs’ will choose which nation will keep in League C and which is consigned to Europe’s backside tier.

Match preview

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As a result of League C constitutes 4 teams whereas League D is made up of solely two, the 2 groups to be relegated are set to be decided over the course of the subsequent week.

Because the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar have already been promoted from League D, Moldova – the fourth-ranked staff of these collaborating – will do battle with the first-ranked staff of the quartet, Kazakhstan.

World-ranked 181, Moldova most lately completed backside of qualification Group F for the upcoming Qatar 2022 World Cup, with only a single level to point out from their 10 video games – ending their depressing marketing campaign with a 4-1 defeat in Austria final November.

Underneath former coach Roberto Bordin, they managed to attain solely 5 targets within the qualifying course of and conceded 30; delivery eight away to Denmark this time final 12 months.

Certainly, Moldova are concerned in these two-legged deciders because of additionally ending backside of their Nations League group, by which they picked up just one level.

That got here from a draw with the Faroes nearly 12 months in the past, which represents the final time the Japanese European state prevented defeat.

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Ranked a hundred and twentieth within the world pecking order, Kazakhstan begin the tie because the pundits’ decide to retain League C standing, having loved higher outcomes than their Moldovan counterparts in current months.

Regardless of ending backside of Group 4, the Hawks managed to beat Lithuania and held group winners Albania to a goalless attract Almaty, earlier than enduring a tough World Cup qualifying course of.

Although they finally completed their marketing campaign winless, the Kazakhs at the least drew twice with Euro 2020 quarter-finalists Ukraine and scored a stoppage-time equaliser to grab a degree in opposition to Bosnia-Herzegovina final September.

The lowlights, although, featured an 8-0 drubbing by France and consecutive dwelling defeats by Bosnia and Finland – and their final aggressive win got here as way back as September 2020.

Coach Andrei Karpovich led his aspect to a 1-0 pleasant victory over Tajikstan final time they took to the turf, so will hope they’ll proceed that run into 2022, as they kick off this tie within the uncommon place of favourites.

Moldova Nations League type:

Moldova type (all competitions):

Kazakhstan Nations League type:

Kazakhstan type (all competitions):

Workforce Information

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Moldova have known as up a squad that includes 4 potential debutants, however nonetheless have their most skilled gamers obtainable for Thursday’s first leg.

Scorer of the hosts’ most up-to-date aggressive purpose, Maccabi Petah Tikva striker Ion Nicolaescu ought to due to this fact begin up entrance alongside Radu Ginsari, who’s the main goalscorer within the squad with seven worldwide strikes to his identify.

In a possible midfield three, Benevento midfielder Artur Ionita is about to drag the strings, having compiled 61 caps and three targets so far.

In the meantime, CSKA Moscow’s Bakhtiyar Zaynutdinov is the best worldwide goalscorer in Kazakhstan’s choice, with 9 targets to his identify from 21 matches. The 23-year-old ahead is predicted to function up entrance for the guests, after scoring the one purpose in a pleasant win over Tajikstan final day out.

One other Russian Premier League participant, Aleksey Shchyotkin of Rotor Volgograd, can be poised to start out in assault.

Moldova attainable beginning lineup:
Namasco; Armas, Posmac, Bolohan; Jardan, Rata, Dros, Ionita, Reabciuk; Ginsari, Nicolaescu

Kazakhstan attainable beginning lineup:
Pokalitov; Logvinenko, Alip, Maliy; Bystrov, Kuat, Zhukov, Vasiliev, Vorogovskiy; Shchyotkin, Zaynutdinov

We are saying: Moldova 0-1 Kazakhstan

Neither aspect is used to successful, even within the modest environs of League C, so the primary leg might effectively be an attritional affair determined by a single purpose.

The guests are finest positioned to take a lead again dwelling for subsequent Tuesday’s return, given their greater standing and previous outcomes in opposition to a few of Europe’s mid-ranking nations.

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