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The third installment of the international break will get underway later this week as Kosovo travel to Debrecen, Hungary, to take on winless Israel in the UEFA Nations League.
Ran Ben-Shimon's men were comfortably beaten for the second game running at the weekend, with three goals in the opening 25 minutes from Troy Parrott, Adam Idah and Jack Moylan leaving them bottom of the group and without a point after two matches.
Kosovo, meanwhile, began their campaign with a narrow victory over the Republic of Ireland but were unable to follow it up with another positive result, falling to a 3-1 defeat against Austria.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Israel vs. Kosovo key stats
- Israel have conceded three goals in each of their two Nations League matches so far, scoring just once.
- Ran Ben-Shimon's side will once again play at a neutral venue due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
- Kosovo's defeat at the weekend brought an end to a five-game winning run in the Nations League.
- Dardanet were promoted to League B after finishing their previous campaign with 12 points from six matches before beating Iceland in a two-legged relegation/promotion playoff.
Israel vs. Kosovo preview: Will the hosts endure another thrashing?
Israel vs Kosovo — Tale of the Tape
| Israel | vs | Kosovo |
|---|---|---|
| 4th | Position (Nations League) | 2nd |
| 0 | Points | 3 |
| 1 | Goals For | 1 |
| 6 | Goals Against | 3 |
| 0 | Clean Sheets | 1 |
| 4th / 4th | Home / Away Rank | 2nd / 3rd |
Entering the 2026-27 Nations League on the back of a four-match unbeaten run, Ran Ben-Shimon's side would have hoped for a much brighter start following their relegation from League A last year.
However, they have struggled to make an impact so far, beginning their campaign with a 3-1 defeat away to Austria before suffering a 3-0 thrashing against the Republic of Ireland in their first ‘home' fixture.
The defeat to Austria was made even more difficult by a red card, while Israel then conceded twice in the space of three minutes against Ireland as their difficult start continued.
Thursday's hosts therefore remain without a point after two matches and are currently bottom of the group with a goal difference of -5.
Even a victory in another behind-closed-doors encounter would be unlikely to lift Israel from the bottom of the standings, although a positive result would at least provide some much-needed encouragement heading into the remainder of the campaign.
As for Kosovo, they will be looking to respond after suffering their first Nations League defeat of the campaign against current group leaders Switzerland.
Franco Foda's side had begun with a narrow victory over the Republic of Ireland but were unable to produce another positive result in Vienna, where goals from David Affengruber, Junior Adamu and Carney Chukwuemeka secured a comfortable win for the hosts.
Edon Zhegrova's late penalty offered Kosovo some consolation, but the defeat ended their five-game winning run in the Nations League.
Despite the setback, Kosovo have continued to find the net consistently, having now scored in each of their last four matches. They will therefore fancy their chances of causing problems against an Israel side that has already conceded six goals in its opening two games.
The visitors will also take confidence from their recent record against Israel, with Kosovo winning the most recent meeting 1-0 nearly three years ago after the previous encounter earlier that year finished 1-1.
Israel vs. Kosovo form guide & betting tips
| Israel | vs | Kosovo |
|---|---|---|
|
L
L
|
Form |
W
L
|
| 0 | Points | 3 |
| 4th | Form Table | 2nd |
| 1 | Goals For | 1 |
| 6 | Goals Against | 3 |
|
W
D
W
L
L
|
Form (All Comps) |
L
L
W
W
L
|
Whispers predicts: Israel 0-2 Kosovo
With Kosovo looking to move towards the top of the group and Israel still searching for their first point, the visitors appear to have the momentum heading into Thursday's contest.
We expect Kosovo to return to winning ways in Hungary, with an away victory currently priced at 23/20.
Our exact scoreline of 0-2 is available at 9/1, while Both Teams to Score – No is priced at 11/10.
We are also backing Under 2.5 goals at 10/11, with Israel having scored just once across their opening two matches.
> Kosovo to win at 23/20 | Likelihood: Probable
> Both Teams to Score – No at 11/10 | Likelihood: Probable
> Under 2.5 goals at 10/11 | Likelihood: Probable
> [Exact scoreline of 0-2 at 9/1 | Likelihood: Outsider