Slovakia vs Slovenia

Tehelné pole sets the stage for the first leg of an exciting UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation playoff tie between Slovakia and Slovenia.

Potentially 180 minutes away from avenging the relegation they suffered in 2020, Slovakia aim to build on their best-ever points tally in the Nations League and secure a second-tier return after five years. Francesco Calzona’s side racked up four wins in six matches during an impressive League C campaign (D1, L1), maintaining a rip-roaring form that had seen them lose only four of their 15 competitive fixtures before the current Nations League got underway (W8, D3). Moreover, a 1-0 win against Baltic minnows Estonia in their last home outing means the Falcons are one game away from piecing together a five-match unbeaten streak on home soil for the first time since September 2018. 

Meanwhile, Slovenia finished their Group B3 campaign on a sorrowful note, losing 4-1 to Norway before a 1-1 draw against Austria on the final matchday. As a result, they had to settle for a third-place finish (W2, D2, L2) despite boasting the highest eight-point haul of all the third-placed teams across the entire Nations League this term. However, the visitors will fancy their chances in Bratislava, buoyed by an impressive run of just one loss from their last eight meetings with Slovakia (W3, D4). Prone to sharing the spoils away from home, the Slovenians have drawn four of their previous eight internationals in foreign lands (W1, L3).