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Laos host Nepal at the New Laos National Stadium in Vientiane on Tuesday for the second leg of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification first-round tie.
The tie is finely poised after the sides played out a 1-1 draw in Kathmandu earlier this week.
Bounphachan Bounkong opened the scoring for Laos after 33 minutes but Anjan Bista leveled the proceedings for Nepal just three minutes into the second half.
With the draws for the second round already completed, the winner of this tie will play with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in Group H, along with the winner of Yemen vs Sri Lanka.
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Playing at home, Laos will likely come flying out of the blocks to take the lead once again and look to pile the pressure on their visitors. Key striker Bounkong, who scored in the first leg, may lead the line for the Million Elephants once again.
As for Nepal, head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese may opt for more experienced players, such as forward Dinesh Henjan, who only came off the bench in the first leg.
Laos vs Nepal Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- Nepal have never lost to Laos in their previous four clashes, winning three.
- This will be the fourth encounter between Nepal and Laos in 2023 alone: the sides met twice in the Tri Nations Tournament in March, where Nepal won both their encounters, and the 1-1 draw on Thursday in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
- Nepal are winless in their last three clashes and have won just once from their last seven.
- Laos have won just one game in five this year: a 2-1 defeat of Bhutan in the Tri Nations Tournament.
- Nepal are ranked 175th in the world, whereas Laos are in 186th position.
Laos vs Nepal Prediction
Given the lack of quality in both camps, this could be another dour affair. However, Nepal have played more games this year than Laos, and have seen marginally better results too. The Million Elephants will be relying on home comforts to prevail, but we are taking a huge gamble here by backing Nepal to win, albeit narrowly.
Prediction: Laos 1-2 Nepal
Laos vs Nepal Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Nepal to win
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Over 2.5
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: Yes
