Slovenia vs Scotland Prediction & Preview - Nations League
Scotland have not lost since the World Cup group stage in June, but they have also barely won anything worth calling form. Slovenia have won once in their last four. Whether a Scotland side under a brand new manager can turn a run of low-key results into an actual victory in Ljubljana is the real question here, and Saturday's Nations League opener will start to answer it.
- Fixture: Slovenia vs Scotland
- Competition: UEFA Nations League
- Date: Saturday, 26 September 2026
- Kick-off: 14:00 BST
- Venue: Stadion Stožice, Ljubljana
Follow the build-up and result on the match page.
Pocognoli's first game in charge
Sébastien Pocognoli takes charge of Scotland for the first time on Saturday, brought in after Steve Clarke's exit following Scotland's group-stage departure from the World Cup in June. His first squad is a mix of the familiar and the new: Andy Robertson, Billy Gilmour, John McGinn, Angus Gunn and Ben Gannon-Doak all keep their places, alongside seven uncapped players in a 28-man group.
It is not a full-strength selection. Scott McTominay was left out as he recovers from a heart procedure, Che Adams is injured, and both Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean withdrew after picking up injuries of their own. A new manager trying to stamp an identity on his side away from home, with several first-choice names missing, is not the easiest starting point.
Slovenia's attack without Sesko
Slovenia's own preparation has been disrupted. Benjamin Sesko, their most prominent forward, has withdrawn from the squad with a recurring shin injury and will miss the whole international window. He is joined on the sidelines by Niko Prelc and Zan Zaletel, with Petar Stojanovic already missing through a separate injury. Zan Celar and Jure Balkovec have come in as replacements.
Losing your first-choice striker before a home Nations League opener is a real blow, not a footnote, and it changes what Slovenia can realistically do in the final third on Saturday.
Form since the summer
Scotland's summer ended badly: a 0-3 defeat to Brazil and a 0-1 loss to Morocco either side of a 1-0 win over Haiti, all at the World Cup in June. Before that they beat Curaçao 4-1 but lost 0-1 to Côte d'Ivoire and drew 0-0 with Japan. It is a squad that has scored freely against weaker opposition and struggled against anyone better.
Slovenia's recent record is similarly mixed. They lost 2-1 to Croatia in June and drew 1-1 with Cyprus days earlier, but did beat Montenegro 3-2 away in March, and drew 0-0 with Hungary the same month. Neither side arrives with real momentum.
Slovenia vs Scotland prediction
Scotland to win a low-scoring Nations League opener in Ljubljana is the call, with Slovenia's misfiring attack - now without Sesko - the deciding factor. Scotland have shown they can be cut open by good sides, but Slovenia without their leading forward look short of the firepower to punish them. A new manager gets his first result, even if the performance is unconvincing.
Our prediction: Slovenia 1-2 Scotland
Make your prediction
Fancy a different scoreline, or think Slovenia's home advantage counts for more than the injuries suggest? Head to the match page and lock in your own call before kick-off. It's free to play, and you can track how your predictions stack up against everyone else's on the leaderboard.