Kazakhstan vs Moldova - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams looking for their first UEFA Nations League victory of the run are acceptable to fastener horns astatine Astana Arena connected Friday, erstwhile Group C3 rivals Kazakhstan look Moldova.

The Hawks are aiming to extremity their four-match winless run, against a Tricolorii broadside that person not emerged triumphant from immoderate of their games since 2024.

Match preview

Kazakhstan stay hopeful that caller manager John van 't Schip tin amended the nationalist team, but this week's showdown is seen arsenic a must-win.

The Hawks - who are ranked 111th by FIFA - seldom travel into a fixture arsenic favourites, but a showdown against 159th-ranked Moldova volition beryllium seen arsenic a gilt-edged accidental to cod maximum points.

That being said, Van 't Schip's men failed to get the amended of 123rd-ranked Faroe Islands connected matchday one, requiring an equaliser from Temirlan Erlanov to salvage a 1-1 draw.

On Tuesday, Kazakhstan were downed 2-1 by Slovakia, and though the effect was not unexpected, Friday's hosts person present won conscionable 1 of their past 8 competitory matches.

However, the much affirmative amongst the location enactment would item that the Hawks pulled that crippled backmost to 1-1 astatine fractional time, earlier Ramazan Karimov's leveller was rendered a specified consolation when David Hancko scored a precocious victor for Slovakia.

Additionally, Kazakhstan person travel retired connected apical successful 3 of their past 4 location clashes, keeping cleanable sheets successful each of those victories and losing conscionable erstwhile crossed that agelong - 1-0 against Wales successful September 2025.

Meanwhile, Lilian Popescu has been successful the Moldovan dugout since September 2025, but is inactive waiting to grounds his archetypal triumph arsenic boss.

The Tricolorii kicked disconnected their Nations League C run by losing 2-0 to Slovakia connected September 26, and hardly fared amended past clip out, erstwhile they were held to a 1-1 gully by Faroe Islands.

Popescu's broadside mirrored Friday's opponents successful that clash, needing a second-half effort from Sergiu Perciun to travel from down and rescue a point.

Moldova caput into their 3rd Group C3 fixture without a triumph successful 17 matches, losing 15 times and drafting connected 5 occasions crossed that run, which stretches each the mode backmost to a 1-0 Nations League triumph implicit Andorra successful November 2024.

Despite being the underdogs connected Friday, fans volition beryllium cautiously hopeful aft seeing the visitors people successful six of their past 7 distant games, but they did suffer 5 of those outings, including an 11-1 demolition astatine the hands of Norway successful September 2025.

Kazakhstan Nations League form:

Moldova Nations League form:

Team News

Kazakhstan could beryllium without midfielder Islambek Kuat connected Friday, aft helium was forced disconnected with a musculus wounded against Slovakia connected Tuesday.

In his absence, the versatile Damir Kasabulat could articulation Zhasulan Amir and Nauryzbek Zhagorov successful the centre of the park.

Elsewhere, the hosts are incapable to telephone connected 18-year-old striker Dastan Satpaev owed to a thigh issue, though Ramazan Karimov should beryllium connected manus to pb the line, supported by attacking midfielder Dinmukhamed Karaman.

As for Moldova, they are apt to start Petru Popescu up apical erstwhile again, with Dmitri Mandricenco operating conscionable down the 24-year-old.

At the other extremity of the pitch, Catalin Cucos, Iurie Iovu and the Vancouver Whitecaps' Mihail Gherasimencov are acceptable to signifier the visitors' antiaircraft trio, shielding goalkeeper Dumitru Celeadnic.

Kazakhstan imaginable starting lineup:

Pokatilov; Ashirbek, Erlanov, Alip; Basmanov, Zhagorov, Kasabulat, Amir, Bekbolat; Karaman; Karimov

Moldova imaginable starting lineup:

Celeadnic; Cucos, Iovu, Gherasimencov; Forov, Fratea, Baboglo, Stina, Reabciuk; Mandricenco; Popescu

We say: Kazakhstan 2-1 Moldova

Kazakhstan volition beryllium hopeless to gain their archetypal triumph nether their caller manager, and with a commendable location grounds this year, the hosts volition beryllium cautiously optimistic.

Moldova could find themselves connected the scoresheet erstwhile again, but having mislaid 7 and drawn 3 of their past 10 distant games, it would beryllium astonishing to spot the underdogs debar different defeat.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.