San Marino vs Kazakhstan prediction: EUROPE: Euro – Qualification betting tips on match 2023-06-15 18:45.
With renovation work in progress at their home venue in Serravalle, San Marino travel to Stadio Ennio Tardini in Parma to ‘host’ Kazakhstan. It’s no surprise that the UEFA member with the smallest population have lost both their matches so far in their Euro 2024 qualifying group against Northern Ireland and Slovenia, taking their record to a miserable 151 defeats (D3) across 154 major tournament qualifiers!
Both their losses this campaign have come without scoring, which was the case in 13 of their last 14 Euro qualifiers, with the lone exception being a 3-1 H2H defeat in 2019. As they carry the baggage of a 129-game winless sequence, La Serenissima could be forgiven for celebrating a goal like a win!
Already assured of at least a play-off spot thanks to their UEFA Nations League performance, the Kazakhs (W1, L1) start this round just outside the top two. Their two Group H matches so far have been a mixed bag, with the Hawks failing to make their first-half lead count in a 2-1 loss to Slovenia before coming back from two goals down in a stunning 3-2 triumph over Denmark in their most recent encounter.
It was a frantic game in which all three home goals came after the 70th minute and Kazakhstan even ended the game with ten men, so will no doubt be targeting a more serene victory on this trip. The chances of a calmer contest are high though, given that both the historical H2Hs saw Kazakhstan take a 3-0 lead within 70 minutes of action. A similarly comfortable cushion midway through the second half should see them secure a third Euro qualifier win on the road in seven matches, having failed to win the previous ten such games.
Players to watch: Lorenzo Lazzari scored San Marino’s last goal, an injury-time equaliser in a friendly against Saint Lucia (1-1) last November. Another goal for Bakhtiyar Zaynutdinov will make him the joint-second all-time top scorer (12) for Kazakhstan, and when these sides last met, he gave his side a sixth-minute lead.
Hot stat: San Marino have conceded more than two goals just once across their last 12 games.