Slovenia Women secure playoff victory with late goals against Türkiye Women

slovenia claim win with late strikes

Slovenia Women secured a 2-0 victory over Türkiye Women in their FIFA Women's World Cup Qualifying playoff first round second leg on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. The match, held at Sportni Park Lendava in Lendava, was decided in the final stages as Slovenia scored twice after a goalless first half to seal a 5-3 aggregate triumph.

goals break deadlock in the closing minutes

The first goal came late in the 83rd minute when Maja Sternad found the net to give Slovenia a 1-0 lead. This breakthrough was followed by a second goal deep into stoppage time at 90+3 minutes, courtesy of Mirjam Kastelec, who sealed the 2-0 win and the overall aggregate scoreline. Both goals arrived when the match was finely balanced, underlining Slovenia’s resilience and determination to advance.

discipline swings in slovenia’s favour

The match saw a total of five yellow cards, four of which were issued to Türkiye Women players. Elif Keskin was booked twice in quick succession at minutes 25 and 26, resulting in a straight red card at the 28th minute, leaving Türkiye Women with ten players for the majority of the match. Other cautions for Türkiye came late in the game: Ilayda Civelek at 88 minutes and Kader Hançar at 89 minutes. Slovenia’s Mirjam Kastelec also received a yellow card in stoppage time. The sending off of Elif Keskin was a pivotal moment that likely influenced the match outcome.

statistics and recent form

Official statistics from the match, including possession, shots on and off target, corners, fouls, saves, and offsides, were not provided. However, the recent form data highlighted contrasting trajectories: Slovenia Women entered the match with no wins in their last five games, recording one draw and four losses, including a 3-3 draw against Türkiye Women in the first leg on 9 October 2026. Conversely, Türkiye Women had a stronger recent record with two wins, two draws, and one loss, scoring 10 goals and conceding eight in their last five outings. The red card and late goals tipped the tie definitively in Slovenia’s favour despite their prior struggles.

impact on the table and next steps

Türkiye Women stood second in their group with 13 points from six matches before this playoff second leg, boasting a positive goal difference of +6. Slovenia Women’s victory in this fixture means they progress through the playoff phase after an aggregate score of 5-3. This result ends Türkiye Women’s campaign in this qualifying cycle and gives Slovenia Women a chance to continue their bid for World Cup qualification. Looking ahead, Slovenia will prepare for the next stage of qualification with confidence following this crucial win at home.

Before kick-off

Goals and key moments

Match statistics