Match Centre

Slovakia's 2-1 victory was deserved based on sheer dominance of chance creation (17 shots, 8 on target, 8 corners) against Kazakhstan's limited counterpunch (3 shots total, just 1 inside the box). Though the xG data is unavailable, the hosts' 75% possession translated to 10 shots from dangerous areas, with goalscorers Leo Sauer (26') and Dávid Hancko (82') capping sustained pressure.

Kazakhstan's 25% possession yielded only Ramazan Karimov's 35th-minute equaliser from their solitary shot on target before half-time, but their defensive effort (18 fouls, 2 yellow cards) couldn't withstand Slovakia's late surge. The telling stat: Slovakia's 8 corners to Kazakhstan's 1 underscores which side consistently forced the issue in attacking areas.