Slovenia vs Scotland prediction and predicted line-ups: a 2pm kick-off for Pocognoli's first game. Nations League, Saturday 26 September

Sébastien Pocognoli's first game in charge of Scotland is an afternoon kick-off in Ljubljana on Saturday 26 September. The 39-year-old Belgian, formerly of Union Saint-Gilloise and Monaco, replaced Steve Clarke, and Boštjan Cesar's Slovenia are without Benjamin Šeško, while Scotland are without Scott McTominay.

Slovenia vs Scotland: kick-off time and venue

Slovenia vs Scotland kicks off at 14:00 UK time (15:00 Central European Time) on Saturday 26 September at the Stožice Stadium in Ljubljana. It is Group B1 of League B in the Nations League, with Switzerland and North Macedonia. Scotland are in League B after losing their play-off to Greece in March 2025, 1-0 winners in Athens and 3-0 losers at Hampden.

Team news

Šeško misses the whole window with a shin problem, and Nik Prelec and Žan Zaletel are also out, replaced by Omonia's Jure Balkovec and Žan Celar. On Monday 21 September Andraž Šporar said: “Igralca kova kot je Benjamin je nemogoče nadomestiti” (A player like Benjamin is impossible to replace).

McTominay is recovering from a minor, successful heart procedure. Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean have also withdrawn, and Blackburn's Kristi Montgomery earned a first call-up, leaving a squad of 27. Torino's Ché Adams and Lawrence Shankland are injured. Billy Gilmour is back after missing the World Cup through injury and scored for Napoli in Florence on Sunday 20 September (our call was no more than four goals, confidence 7 out of 10: correct). Pocognoli has named seven uncapped players, and said at La Manga on Tuesday: “I think we have a good mix.”

Slovenia vs Scotland predicted line-ups

There is only one full prediction for each side, so treat both with caution. Slovenia (4-2-3-1): Oblak; Karničnik, Bijol, Drkušić, Janža; Gnezda Čerin, Elšnik; Šturm, Lovrić, Begić; Šporar. With Šeško out, Andraž Šporar leads the line, with Vipotnik, Matko and Celar the alternatives, and Jaka Bijol has not been playing much at Leeds.

Scotland (4-2-3-1): Gunn; Hickey, Hendry, McKenna, Robertson; Ferguson, Gilmour; Gannon-Doak, McGinn, Christie; McBurnie. Aaron Hickey is competing with Nathan Patterson, who only comes off the bench at Torino, at right-back, and up front the alternative to Oli McBurnie is Sevilla's uncapped Robbie Ure, who scored 20 goals in 20 games for Sirius before his summer move. The official line-ups are released about an hour before kick-off.

Head-to-head and form

Scotland have never lost to Slovenia: two wins and three draws in five games. The last visit to Stožice, on 8 October 2017, ended 2-2.

Slovenia have gone five competitive games without a win: beaten 3-0 in Switzerland and held 0-0 at home by the Swiss, 0-0 in Kosovo and beaten 2-0 at home by Kosovo, then 1-1 in Sweden. Scotland reached the World Cup by beating Denmark 4-2, then beat Haiti 1-0 through McGinn before losing 1-0 to Morocco and 3-0 to Brazil.

Our Slovenia vs Scotland prediction

Our call is no more than three goals, confidence 6 out of 10. Slovenia have scored once in their last five competitive games, and four of the five previous meetings finished with three goals or fewer. Udinese team-mates Lovrić and Lennon Miller will be on opposite sides. Every other game is in our matchday one preview.

Every game with our calls is on the Nations League page. The record of settled calls is in the results history, and our calls on individual players are in player predictions.