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.
