Czech Republic vs Kosovo 31 May 2026 Prediction

The Czech Republic will play at the World Cup for the first time in 20 years, and this friendly on home soil is one of its final tune-ups before the tournament. Kosovo, meanwhile, missed out on the World Cup after losing to Turkey in the playoff final (0-1). The visitors now face a rebuilding phase. Can they challenge the favorite, or will the hosts handle this opponent confidently at home?

There Is Schick and Resilience

The Czech Republic has assembled an almost full-strength World Cup squad. Its main scorer, Patrik Schick, is available after scoring four goals in qualifying and adding another in the playoffs. With him leading the attack, the team averaged 2.1 goals per match in qualifying. Defender Ladislav Krejci emerged as a real leader in the playoff rounds. He not only organized the back line, but also scored in the matches against Ireland (2-2) and Denmark (2-2). The whole team showed resilience, advancing through both playoff rounds on penalties.

The manager is likely to start Schick and test Adam Hlozek, who has returned from injury, while captain Tomas Soucek should control the midfield. At home, the Czech Republic has not lost since September 2024, recording nine wins and two draws. The main issue is defensive inconsistency, so Koubek may test different defensive combinations.

A Full Rebuild

The loss to Turkey (0-1) in the playoff left Kosovo without a World Cup spot. That means manager Franco Foda now has an urgent new task: identifying hidden squad depth. Several key players have declined to take part in the friendlies against the Czech Republic and Andorra. Some, including captain and Mallorca leader Vedat Muriqi, cited fatigue after a long season. Others, such as Juventus winger Edon Zhegrova, have decided to take a break from international duty. There is one positive development: Betim Fazliji of St. Gallen is returning to the national team setup after a long absence.

Kosovo’s lineup for this friendly will clearly be experimental. Dardan Shabanhaxhaj, Valmir Matoshi, Rilind Nivokazi, Ron Raci and Andi Hoti have all been called up for the first time. We expect at least two newcomers to start, including a possible appearance from the Rubin Kazan forward.

Czech Republic vs Kosovo Predicted Lineup

Czech Republic (5-2-2-1): Kovar — Coufal, Chaloupek, Krejci, Granac, Zeleny — Soucek, Darida — Hlozek, Provod — Schick

Will not play: –

Manager: Miroslav Koubek

Kosovo (4-4-2): Muric — Vojvoda, Hajdari, Krasniqi, Raci — Zaberxha, Matoshi, Avdullahu, Gallapeni — Asllani, Shabanhaxhaj

Will not play: Muriqi, Rashica, Aliti, Hadergjonaj (all not called up), Saipi, Celina, Zhegrova (all personal reasons), Dellova (injury)

Manager: Franco Foda

Czech Republic vs Kosovo Prediction: Czech Republic to Win at 1.81

The Czech Republic is preparing for the World Cup, so motivation should be on its side. Koubek’s team will likely play with an emphasis on a strong attack, which scored exactly two goals in each key playoff match. With Schick, Krejci and Soucek available, plus home-field advantage, the hosts look like clear favorites. We have already noted how well they use that home factor. Kosovo is weakened by the absence of several leaders and will field an experimental lineup, so it is unlikely to seriously threaten the Czech defense. The visitors need to build chemistry, and nerves could affect the debutants. Foda’s team performed well in its last three road games, but the main workload in those matches was carried by stars who are not in the squad this time. Therefore, the pick is Czech Republic to win at 1.81. A riskier option is correct score 2-0 at 6.00, considering that the hosts averaged 2.1 goals across qualifying and the playoffs.