If England, Wales, Russia and the rest of Euro 2016 for that matter, needed a reminder of the potential threat posed by debutants Slovakia they need only look at their recent results. A 3-1 victory last month over an admittedly-weakened Germany side certainly caught the eye but it was no fluke as they have also beaten Spain, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Ukraine over the last two years.
In fact Jan Kozak’s team are on one of the more impressive runs of form heading into their maiden European Championship having lost just two of their last 19 games dating back to September, 2014. Only three of those matches ended in a draw as well.
Qualifying began with a bang as they prolonged Spain’s post-World Cup hangover with a famous 2-1 win in Zilina, and although La Roja had their revenge with a 2-1 victory 12 months later, Slovakia still managed to finish an impressive second. Put simply: this is a side who know how to win matches. Kozak has some elegant and destructive midfield players to call upon and if everything goes to plan, Slovakia could be one of the neutral’s favourites.
Six years ago they stunned Italy at the World Cup in South Africa, beating the then-defending world champions 3-2 in one of the games of the tournament to reach the knockouts on their maiden appearance in an international tournament. There is a quiet and assured confidence they can repeat the trick in France. However, while that’s the good, there are concerns defensively and with overall squad depth as injuries to a couple of key players – particularly Hamsik – could collapse everything they’ve built up to now.
The opening line of their national anthem is, “Far above the Tatra mountains, lightning bolts are pounding”; Slovakia could well come crashing into France over the next few weeks.
STRENGTHS
Their fine form has created confidence Slovakia can make their mark. This isn’t a workmanlike side built on rigid organisation as Marek Hamsik, Juraj Kucka and Miroslav Stoch are classy technicians who can trouble the best. They can be a viciously effective counterattacking team, while recalled goalkeeper Matus Kozacik was excellent throughout qualification.
WEAKNESSES
Defensively they look worryingly short of pace while Martin Skrtel clearly isn’t the imposing centreback he once was. With the exception of the versatile Norbert Gyomber, there is a similarity to all their defenders. The real selection issue, however, is what to do up front as there isn’t a standout candidate to lead the line, although Michal Duris enjoyed a strong season with Plzen.
STAR MAN – MAREK HAMSIK
The undisputed star of this Slovak side is a goal-getting midfielder who can strike them from deep – witness his belter against Germany last month – or power into the penalty area. Although he operates almost as a de facto second striker, Hamsik’s other great asset is his workrate and ability to manipulate the play in wide areas as well as centrally, drifting away from defenders and then cutting inside to attack. As vice captain he also forms an exceptional leadership duo with Skrtel, forever driving his team forward.
VERDICT
Make no mistake they are a real threat in a group which, maybe England aside, looks open. There will be an inner belief they can reach the last 16 so their opener against Wales could shape their tournament.
