Slovakia vs Russia
Russia have already registered two wins from two, and now they want to complete a 100 per cent start in the first round of qualifiers on the road to Qatar.
World Cup 2022 Slovakia vs Russia at the Stadion Antona Malatinskeho in Trnava is a chance for the visitors to make it a perfect three and take a firm hold of their destiny in Group H. It’s a highly competitive group in which World Cup 2018 finalists Croatia are favourites to win, but Slovenia will have a say too.
The hosts come into the game on the back of two draws and that means they sit in fourth place in the group, and head coach Stefan Tarkovic will be disappointed with that return against the two underdogs, Malta and Cyprus.
It’s shaping up to be a fascinating clash; the Slovakia vs Russia betting odds give the in-form visitors the edge, but Slovakia will put up a serious fight.
Talking Points
Slovakia must turn draws into wins
Tarkovic brings his team into this game in need of a victory, after draws from the first two outings have left them slightly off the pace. A victory would drag Slovakia to within a point of Russia and that must be their aim with the highly rated Croatia expected to take top spot in Group H.
Slovakia needs leaders and in Internazionale’s centre-back Milan Skriniar they certainly have a strong character. Antonio Conte’s side is top of Serie A by six points with a game in hand and Skriniar has been a key part of Inter’s success this term.
Milan Skriniar celebrates after scoring Slovakia’s second goal against Malta
He’s a classic centre-back, tough in the tackle and quick to clear, the perfect number five for the Italian league. He can also play further forward as a defensive midfielder and he was on target in Slovakia’s 2-2 draw with Malta last time out.
Newcastle United keeper Martin Dubravka will welcome the distraction from domestic matters as the Geordies are embroiled in a survival battle. Nervous Magpies fans will have been delighted to see Leeds United beat Fulham last week, a result which kept Steve Bruce’s team outside the bottom three.
Here at SBOTOP we’re keeping a close eye on the Premier League relegation race where falling through the trapdoor is the costliest move in football. Dubravka has been Newcastle’s most influential player in their latest stint in the top flight and is one of the safest pair of hands in the game.
Looking to the future there are high hopes for 19-year-old David Strelec, who scored his first senior goal in his second appearance for Slovakia in the draw with Malta.
Strelec has scored 13 goals from 43 appearances for Slovan Bratislava and impressed at U21 and U19 level for his country, with 11 goals from 19 games and he looks to have the kind of spark which might just return a one-in-two ratio for the senior side.
Dzyuba on fire for Russia
While Strelec may be the future for Slovakia, Russia already have their lethal weapon in the form of 6ft 6in striker Artem Dzyuba. He scored both of Russia’s goals in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Slovenia and that made it 29 goals from 49 appearances for the Zenit St. Petersburg hitman.
The victory over Slovenia came on the back of a 3-1 win over Malta when Dzyuba was again on target, and Russia have hopes of rekindling the spirit of World Cup 2018 if the giant can keep scoring.
Head coach Stanislav Cherchesov became a national hero at the World Cup on home soil as his team qualified for the Round of 16 where they beat the mighty Spain on penalties, before exiting the quarter-finals in a shoot-out against eventual finalists Croatia.
But he has work to do to find the consistency his team will need to qualify for Qatar. Before the campaign started, they were thumped 5-0 by Serbia back in November, cruelly exposed by a mid-ranking neighbour.
History
While Russia had a great World Cup at home, Slovakia’s only appearance at the World Cup came in 2010, and they acquitted themselves well, reaching the Round of 16 before losing 2-1 to the Netherlands.
The head-to-head Slovakia vs Russia results have been shared between these two rivals, with each winning two of the last four games, the most recent encounter a 2-1 win for the Slovaks at Euro 2016 when the legendary Marek Hamsik scored a stunning strike.
While Slovakia are yet to win in the World Cup qualifiers, they have lost just once in five, winning two and drawing two, while Russia have won two drawn one and lost two over that period.
Russia are 39th in the FIFA World rankings, looking up at Slovakia in 34th but current form makes the visitors favourites to win this tie.
Slovakia are at 4.45 to win with the draw at 3.10 and Russia at 1.89 to make it three victories from three. I’m not convinced they’ll do it, but I do think there will be goals.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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The post World Cup 2022: Russia Aiming for Perfect Start in Slovakia appeared first on SBOTOP.