Israel vs Kosovo – News and Probable Lineups

Both teams suffered defeats in their last outings, and now Israel and Kosovo will swiftly have the opportunity to recover on Thursday as they face off in the UEFA Nations League.

After losing to the Republic of Ireland and Austria respectively, these two sides will press on in their League B Group 3 journey with a meeting in neutral Hungary.

Match overview

As they play the second of four rapid fixtures during this international break, Israel encountered a heavy defeat against an energized Ireland side on Sunday night.

Although Israel played as the ‘hosts’ in neutral Debrecen, they quickly found themselves three goals down within the first 25 minutes and were unable to bounce back from that poor start.

Ran Ben Shimon’s squad had just returned to the League B level three days earlier – suffering a 3-1 loss to Austria in Linz – after their relegation from the continent’s top division.

Earlier this year, Israel missed out on another significant tournament, finishing behind Norway and Italy in the World Cup qualifying campaign.

Consequently, it has been a challenging phase for Ben Shimon’s struggling squad, who have lost five out of their last six competitive matches and are currently placed 76th in FIFA’s most recent world rankings.

Just two spots lower, Kosovo is on the rise as they narrowly missed qualifying for their first World Cup, shortly after achieving promotion in the Nations League.

The Balkan nation secured second place in their League C group before winning both legs of a playoff against Iceland to gain entry to Europe’s second tier.

Kosovo demonstrated their capabilities again by defeating Ireland with a late goal on matchday one of the current campaign, as captain and top scorer Vedat Muriqi finally found the net.

However, after their 14th win in 20 matches, Franco Foda’s team faced defeat last weekend when top seeds Austria claimed a 3-1 victory in Vienna.

As one of UEFA’s newest members, Kosovo will now meet Israel for only the third time, having secured four points from two qualifying matches for Euro 2024.

Team News

After Dor Turgeman stepped in as a substitute last weekend, Israel may reinstate Sayed Abu Farchi as their starting striker following his one-match suspension against Ireland.

Tai Baribo is also a candidate for inclusion, while Oscar Gloukh and captain Dor Peretz are anticipated to provide support from the midfield.

Both managers could make adjustments for their third match in a week, although Kosovo head coach Foda generally relies on a tight group of key players.

Muriqi remains the standout striker for the visitors, having contributed to 19 Nations League goals to date – only Erling Haaland has a higher tally.

The Fenerbahçe forward has taken on captaincy duties for this camp, as Napoli defender Amir Rrahmani recently retired from international football following a dispute with the federation.

Albian Hajdari is still a doubt due to injury, while goalkeeper Arijanet Muric was substituted in Sunday’s defeat against Austria; Amir Saipi is set to take over if needed.

Israel probable starting XI:

To. Peretz; Dasa, Nachimas, Shlomo, Revivo; Khalaily, E. Peretz, Do. Peretz, Solomon; Gloukh; Abu Farchi

Kosovo probable starting XI:

Muric; Dellova, I. Krasniqi, Raci; Vojvoda, Hoxha, Avdullahu, Gallapeni; Zhegrova, E. Krasniqi; Muriqi

Despite a rare setback on Sunday, Kosovo remains in strong form, and their formidable attack could exploit Israel’s shaky defense.

The visitors should keep their promotion hopes alive in League A with a victory in Debrecen, prior to hosting table-toppers Austria this weekend.