UEFA EURO 2016 Group B – Slovakia Team Predictions, Odds and Preview

Slovakia – No. 32 in FIFA World Rankings

Team Strengths:

Slovakia has a starting lineup that can hold its own with any team in the world. Captain Martin Skrtel is their rock in the center of defense; Juraj Kucka and Viktor Pečovský are equally formidable in the middle of the park; and star man Marek Hamsik (five goals in qualifying) in one of the very best playmakers in Europe not playing for one of the elite clubs.

They pulled off a huge shock by handing reigning European champions Spain their first qualifying defeat in eight years in 2014. Meanwhile, they’re +900 long shots to pull off another major surprise and win Group B.

Team Weaknesses:

Depth beyond their first 11 is virtually non-existent, so any injury during the tournament could be catastrophic. There’s also the lingering question of who starts as the lone striker. There are a trio of options to choose from, but none are particularly impressive. Robert Vittek is the country’s all-time top scorer with 23 goals in 82 caps, but he’s also 34 years old and unlikely to have a sustained impact.

The Slovaks are +125 favorites to finish bottom of Group B.

Team Stats (During Euro Qualifiers):

Category | Stat
Goals Scored Per Game | 1.7
Goals Conceded Per Game | 0.8
Goal Attempts Per Game | 11.6
Pass Completion Percentage | 86%
Ball Possession Percentage | 46%

Starting Lineup:

Position | Name (Age) | Career Caps | Goals
Goalie | Matúš Kozáčik (32) | 15 | 0
Defender | Peter Pekarík (29) | 65 | 2
Defender | Martin Škrtel (31) | 79 | 5
Defender | Tomáš Hubočan (30) | 44 | 0
Defender | Dušan Švento (30) | 36 | 1
Midfielder | Róbert Mak (25) | 26 | 7
Midfielder | Juraj Kucka (29) | 45 | 4
Midfielder | Viktor Pečovský (32) | 30 | 1
Midfielder | Vladimír Weiss (26) | 50 | 4
Midfielder | Marek Hamšík (28) | 85 | 17
Forward | Adam Nemec (30) | 20 | 4

Writer’s Prediction

Slovakia crash out of the competition as Group B’s bottom team.

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