Slovakia will be hoping for their second ever qualification to the European Championships in a tough group

Our neighbours are preparing for the third European Championship in a row and the third in the history of Slovakia. The Italian coach Francesco Calzona has also selected several players from the Czech league. The group is going to be quite a tough competition.

Slovakia managed to qualify for EURO 2024, so to speak, with flying colours. Although it unexpectedly drew with Luxembourg at the start, it won all its matches except the double-header with Portugal and secured a comfortable second place.

The Slovaks have no great achievements in their individual history. They have only made it to the World Cup once, but in 2010 they surprisingly left Italy and New Zealand behind in the group stage and advanced to the eighth finals, where they fell to the later finalists from the Netherlands.

They even made it to the EUROs for the first time in 2016, where they advanced out of the group in their first appearance, but then fell to the Germans in the semi-finals.

Slovakia’s nomination for the EURO

But now to the current team. What does Slovakia have to offer? Certainly confidence in goal. Martin Dúbravka returned to the Newcastle goal when Nick Popa was injured and will be one of the biggest pillars of the Slovak team. Calzona also have the luxury of another Premier League goalkeeper, Marek Rodak.

The defence will be commanded by PSG stopper Milan Škriniar. Dávid Hancko from Feyenoord and Denis Vavro from Copenhagen will also be in the starting line-up. The omission of Mallorca’s Martin Valjent has also attracted a lot of attention. After all, fourth-year stoppers don’t grow on trees in the Spanish La Liga, but the 28-year-old defender simply has no place in the current squad.

Napoli’s Stanislav Lobotka should reign supreme in midfield, with fellow Serie A international Ondrej Duda and the ageless Juraj Kucka also available. However, Patrik Hrošovský, Matúš Bero or Tomáš Rigo, who had a breakthrough season at Baník, could also start.

Sparta-Slavic attack

While Slovakia has players from PSG, Napoli and the Premier League in the defensive and midfield ranks, the attack is not as packed. Two players from Prague have a great chance to make the starting line-up. Ivan Schranz and Lukáš Haraslín.

Róbert Boženik from the Portuguese Boavista has his place at the top. Lubomír Tupta from Liberec has also been selected from the Czech league, as well as David Strelec, Dávid Ďuriš, Tomáš Suslov and Leo Sauer.

Ideal line-up

Dúbravka
Pekarik – Vavro – Škriniar – Hancko
Kucka – Lobotka – Duda
Schranz – Boženik – Haraslín

Slovakia are facing a rather difficult group. They will face Belgium, traditionally one of the favourites, but Ukraine, which has a very strong team, will have to grind its teeth for second place. Romania won’t be completely surrendered either. The ideal way into the eighth round is probably through a win against Romania and ideally a point against Ukraine to secure the third place.

Source: Slovak national football team, UEFA