Kelantan Red Warrior v Star City prediction

What to expect

Kelantan Red Warrior host Star City at home in a Malaysia Liga Super clash on 16 October 2026. Kelantan sit bottom of the table, 12th of 12, with no points from five games and a dreadful –20 goal difference. They are already in the relegation zone and only a point separates them from Negeri Sembilan above. Star City sit two places higher, 10th of 12, with two points from four matches and a –9 goal difference. They are just one point ahead of Melaka FC and one point behind Negeri Sembilan. Both clubs are fighting to climb out of the bottom half, but the stakes are sharper for Kelantan, who must avoid the drop.

Kelantan’s recent run has been brutal. They lost 3-0 to Celtic, then fell 4-1 at the hands of Kilmarnock. Those two defeats added up to seven goals conceded and only one scored in four games. The side has struggled to find the net and to keep clean sheets, leaving them with a very poor record heading into this fixture.

Star City have also been under pressure but have shown a slightly better edge. Their last three results were a 2-2 draw with a mid-table side, a 1-0 win over a fellow relegation-battler, and a 3-2 loss to a team fighting for European spots. The most recent 3-2 defeat was a high-scoring affair where they managed to find the net twice, showing they can create chances even when they are beaten. Overall they have scored more and kept the goal difference less negative than Kelantan.

When the two sides have met before, the games have tended to produce goals at both ends. The expected total of 4.5 goals this time reflects that pattern. Kelantan have a 74 % chance of scoring at least once and a 38 % chance of scoring twice or more. Star City’s chances are even higher – 92 % to get on the scoresheet and 68 % to hit a double. The numbers suggest an open game where both teams will look to attack.

We pick Star City to win. The price of 1.38 is shorter than what we feel the match deserves, but the odds still give a decent return for a side that looks clearly stronger on the numbers. Star City’s higher scoring probability and better recent form give them about a 60 % chance of coming out on top. For our pick to go wrong, Kelantan would need to find a sudden surge in confidence and score at least two goals while keeping Star City to a single strike – a scenario that looks unlikely given the current form of both clubs.