Slovakia and Czech Republic meet, in a match for this phase of the UEFA Nations League (League B). There are only 2 recent head-to-head matches between these two teams: on 19-11-2018, which ended with the victory of the Czech Republic by (1-0), and on 13-10-2018, which ended with the victory of Czech Republic by (1‑2). In this match, the home factor may be decisive, as Slovakia present considerable differences in their results at home and away.
Slovakia :
The home team had direct access to this group stage, which is why they will play their first game in this edition of the competition. This is a stronger team with the support of its fans, since in the last 30 games it has recorded 4 victories, 2 draws and 9 defeats as a visitor, with 17 goals scored and 24 suffered; against 9 victories, 3 draws and 3 defeats in his stadium, with 30 goals scored and 14 suffered. The team comes to this match after a home win against Azerbaijan by (2‑0). In the last 9 home matches for all competitions, Slovakia won 5, drew 2 and lost 2. The team allowed goals to the opponent in 8 of the last 10 matches, so their defense needs to improve, but their attack has scored regularly, having scored goals in 8 of the last 10 games. There is a tendency to have goals in their home matches, since 9 of the last 9 matches they have played have ended with Over 1.5 goals. In 15 games, they suffered the first goal 8 times and only managed 1 comeback.
The Slovak team enters this match with a 2-0 win against Azerbaijan, returning to triumphs after three consecutive matches without tasting the taste of victory: the team’s goals were signed by Hamsik and Bozenik. Coach Pavel Hapal usually plays in a traditional 4-3-3, where the three most advanced pieces are Robert Mak, Lukas Haraslin and Robert Bozenik: the last mentioned athlete is very strong in the passing game. The brain of the team is midfielder Marek Hamsik, responsible for defining and leading his team’s attacks. Doubtful for this game are Dubravka and Pekarik.
Czech Republic :
The visiting team will make its debut in this edition of the competition, since they did not have to play any of the qualifying rounds prior to this group stage. This is a team little affected by the home factor, that is, it presents similar results at home and away, since in the last 30 games it has recorded 7 wins, 1 draw and 7 losses as a visitor, with 15 goals scored and 24 suffered; against 8 victories, 3 draws and 4 defeats in his stadium, with 26 goals scored and 15 suffered. In the last match they played, for the European Championship Qualification, they lost to Bulgaria by (1‑0). In their last 8 away matches the Czech Republic has registered 3 wins and 5 losses. Their defense has not been very strong, as they have suffered goals in 8 of the last 10 matches, but their offense has scored regularly, as they have scored goals in 8 of the last 10 matches. In 15 games, they conceded the first goal 8 times, but got the comeback in 3.
The Czech Republic enters this game with a defeat, 1-0, on the trip to Bulgaria, adding the second defeat in the last 3 games played. It should be noted that the last victory of the Czech Republic was 2-1 against Kosovo. To play away from home, coach Jaroslav Silhavy must act in his usual tactical system, favoring the medium-low blocking and counterattacks, thus exploring the space in the opponent’s back. Tomas Soucek is one of the highlights of this team, which is very strong in the defensive organization. The foreign coach will be able to count on all his players.
