Will the Bravehearts make the play-offs?
In Group F of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Denmark are already confirmed as group winners. The Scots, who picked up 17 of a possible 24 points, are right behind them for the play-offs, which they could safely defend with an away win in Moldova against the Israelis, who are four points behind them. The Bravehearts will travel to the landlocked south-eastern European country with the appropriate motivation.
In the run-up to the international match between Moldova and Scotland, the odds are heavily in favour of the visitors. Not only did the Scottish national football team already win the first leg against the Moldovan side, but the Bravehearts are also on a generally excellent run of winning four competitive games in a row.
This contrasts with the Moldovan national team, which has lost all of its last seven competitive matches. Only in June did they win a friendly match against Azerbaijan. It was the only victory among the last 26 international matches. Nevertheless, the underdogs have rarely been completely outclassed.
Accordingly, we see the greatest value in betting on Moldova against Scotland to score a maximum of two goals. After all, the Bravehearts have also won three of their last four international matches with the minimalist result of 1:0.
Moldova – Statistics & current form
The Moldovan national team has competed as an independent country since the break-up of the Soviet Union. However, they have only won 49 of the 255 international matches they have played so far (58 draws, 148 defeats).
Moreover, because 30 of these 49 victories have come in friendly matches, the 181st-ranked team in the FIFA World Ranking has never yet succeeded in qualifying for a World Cup or European Championship final round.
Eight games, 4:24 goals and only one point in Group F
In the current 2022 World Cup qualifiers, it has once again been clear for several months that Moldova will not be sending a selection to the World Cup in Qatar. Only against football dwarf Faroe Islands the Moldovans finally got a point in a 1-1 draw on 25 March 2021.
All other seven group matches were lost – including even the return match in Tórshavn at the Faroese national football team. With only one point out of a possible 24, just four goals scored and a total of 24 conceded, Roberto Bordin’s side thus hold the red lantern in Group F.
Only one win in last 26 internationals
In total, Moldova are missing a difference player. Not a single one of the 24 players nominated is under contract in one of the top five European leagues. Only midfielder Artur Ionita plays in the Italian Serie B for Benevento Calcio.
Accordingly, results have been lacking time and again in the recent past. Of the last 26 international matches, the Moldovan team has only won one (three draws, 22 defeats) – a 1:0 in a test match against Azerbaijan. It is therefore hardly surprising that the odds are clearly against the home side when it comes to Moldova vs Scotland.
Predicted Moldova line-up:
Namasco – Raebciuk – Bolohan – Armas – Posmac – Cociuc – Bogaciuc – Dros – Ionita – Nicolaescu – Spataru
Last matches of Moldova:
World Cup Qualification UEFA 1st Round Grp. F
10/12 2021 – Israel 2 – 1 Moldova
10/09 2021 – Moldova 0 – 4 Denmark
09/07 2021 – Faroe Islands 2 – 1 Moldova
09/04 2021 – Scotland 1 – 0 Moldova
09/01 2021 – Moldova 0 – 2 Austria
Scotland – Statistics & current form
The Scottish national football team has already qualified for a total of eight World Cup finals. The Bravehearts played in Switzerland for the first time in 1954, where they failed in the preliminary round, as they did in all seven of their other appearances.
The last time a Scottish team played in France was in 1998, before the Scots failed to qualify five times in a row. Now, after a 24-year hiatus, they could make a return to the big stage
Safe for the play-offs with an away win
Scotland’s last European Championship drought was just as long, failing to qualify successfully between 1996 and 2021 before returning via the Nations League play-offs. Now the Bravehearts could go straight after them.
Although the direct ticket to Qatar has already been awarded to Denmark in Group F, Steve Clarke’s side would still be certain of a place in the play-offs with an away win in Moldova. Accordingly, all available top performers will of course be in the game.
Last four competitive matches won in a row
The Scots’ recent run of form, which has seen them lose just one of their eight Group F matches (five wins, two draws) and pick up 17 points from a possible 24, is largely down to the fact that many of the team’s cornerstones are earning their money in the powerful Premier League. Athletes like Andrew Robertson, Kieran Tierney, Scott McTominay and John McGinn are among the top performers in their teams.
The Bravehearts, who have won all of their last four international matches in a row and recently recorded 1-0 away victories in Austria and the Faroe Islands, are therefore clearly favoured. Accordingly, there is a lot of value to be found in the betting on Moldova against Scotland.
Predicted line-up of Scotland:
Gordon – Cooper – McKenna – Robertson – Tierney – McGregor – Armstrong – McGinn- McTominay – McLean – Christie
Last Games of Scotland:
World Cup Qualification UEFA 1st Round Grp. F
10/12 2021 – Faroe Islands 0 – 1 Scotland
10/09 2021 – Scotland 3 – 2 Israel
09/07 2021 – Austria 0 – 1 Scotland
09/04 2021 – Scotland 1 – 0 Moldova
09/01 2021 – Denmark 2 – 0 Scotland
Moldova – Scotland Direct comparison / H2H balance
Head to head: 0 – 1 – 2
The two nations have only faced each other three times so far. In the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, the Scots were held to a 1-1 draw in Chisinau but went on to win the return leg 2-0 at home in Glasgow. This time, too, they recorded a 1-0 first-leg win in Scotland.
Moldova – Scotland tip
For Moldova vs Scotland, the prediction has to take into account the poor results of the Moldovan side, who have only won one of their last 26 international matches and are bottom of the group. Even against football dwarf Faroe Islands, the Moldovans picked up only one point out of a possible six, which is why little is likely to be gained against a Scottish selection with a strong quality.
However, low betting odds are available on the Bravehearts to win in Moldova v Scotland, so it makes a lot of sense to switch to betting on a maximum of two goals being scored.
Not only have the Scots been minimalist a time or two recently (three of the last four internationals have been narrow 1-0 wins). All three previous duels between the two nations have also produced a maximum of two goals.
