This Balkan matchup set to be cagey

Kosovo up and running

Kosovo were able to secure their first set of points of these qualifiers with a well-earned 1-0 win against Georgia thanks to a Vedat Muriqi goal early in the first half. It seems unlikely now that Kosovo could catch Spain or Sweden who occupy 1^st and 2^nd place in Group B without a win, with Greece having played two games less than Spain and one less than both Kosovo and Sweden so far. A win for Sunday’s visitors would see them move to within just two points of Spain with a game in hand, so it’s certainly a game both of these teams will be desperate to win. But this in turn, is what I think will make it a cagey affair.

Greece, haven’t really played much…

Greece are actually undefeated in qualifying so far, with two draws from as many games. It’s a trend I can see continuing in Kosovo, with a mixed bag of form for both sides overall. Two of the main goalscoring threats could return for each side, with Milot Rashica having to miss Kosovo’s last game due to COVID travel restrictions but is set to return to the squad for Sunday’s game. Greece may well see young star Christos Tzolis return, who’s recovering from an injury but could well be in contention for a spot in this game which is Greece’s most pivotal of these qualifiers so far. 1-1 draws for Greece in their games against Spain and Georgia (I’m sure they’ll have mixed feelings about these two results) have actually set Greece up quite nicely to make a stab at breaching the top two spots in Group B and put up some sort of challenge against Sweden and Spain’s reign.

The rise of Kosovo

Kosovo certainly shouldn’t be counted out here, far from it in fact. They’re a nation on the rise in terms of their footballing development. In only their second attempt at World Cup qualification, this young nation are beginning to prove that they can mix it with the best Europe has to offer. With individual talents such as Muriqi, Berisha, Rrahmani and Rashica all plying their trade in some of Europe’s best teams, the only way is up for Kosovo in the long run, and results will start to show very soon.

With both teams realistically needing a win to keep in touch with the top two, this game looks set to become very cagey. That’s why I’m going with a draw with bet365.

Bet Draw on Bet365