Sitting #34 in FIFA’s official rankings, Slovakia’s goalless draw away to Cyprus (#100) in their opening World Cup Qualification (WCQ) game means they are winless in three consecutive matches (D2, L1) against nations ranked outside the top 80! Additionally, Slovakia have now (if excluding any ET) failed to score after HT in eight consecutive matches. Usually strong from the off when playing at home, the hosts have kept a first-half clean sheet in six consecutive matches here. That run seems likely to continue, as Slovakia have won each of their previous four WCQ home matches ‘to-nil’, and the most recent came against none other than Malta (3-0). Visiting Malta’s 3-1 home loss to Russia earlier this week saw their winless run stretched to a disappointing 15 WCQ matches (D1, L14), for an all-time record in the competition of: W2, D10, L91. Encouragingly though, that result saw their run of eight international matches without scoring a goal vs nations ranked inside FIFA’s current top 40 come to an end. If the 176th-ranked visitors are to miraculously avoid a seventh consecutive WCQ away defeat, they will have to keep things tight early on, as they have trailed at HT in their previous six WCQ away losses against nations ranked in the top 100. That has also been the case in their previous four competitive H2Hs vs Slovakia across all venues (W/D0, L4). 2-0
Sitting #34 in FIFA’s official rankings, Slovakia’s goalless draw away to Cyprus (#100) in their opening World Cup Qualification (WCQ) game means they are winless in three consecutive matches (D2, L1) against nations ranked outside the top 80! Additionally, Slovakia have now (if excluding any ET) failed to score after HT in eight consecutive matches.
Usually strong from the off when playing at home, the hosts have kept a first-half clean sheet in six consecutive matches here. That run seems likely to continue, as Slovakia have won each of their previous four WCQ home matches ‘to-nil’, and the most recent came against none other than Malta (3-0).
Visiting Malta’s 3-1 home loss to Russia earlier this week saw their winless run stretched to a disappointing 15 WCQ matches (D1, L14), for an all-time record in the competition of: W2, D10, L91. Encouragingly though, that result saw their run of eight international matches without scoring a goal vs nations ranked inside FIFA’s current top 40 come to an end.
If the 176th-ranked visitors are to miraculously avoid a seventh consecutive WCQ away defeat, they will have to keep things tight early on, as they have trailed at HT in their previous six WCQ away losses against nations ranked in the top 100. That has also been the case in their previous four competitive H2Hs vs Slovakia across all venues (W/D0, L4).
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