Slovakia vs Estonia prediction: EUROPE: UEFA Nations League – League C betting tips on match 2024-11-18 19:45.
[p]Slovakia’s hopes of automatic promotion to League B of the UEFA Nations League (UNL) were cruelly dashed on Saturday night as Sweden beat them 2-1 to secure top spot. However, the Falcons will definitely be in the promotion play-offs after accruing ten points in four games before that disappointment in Solna. [/p]
[p]Their next opponents are Estonia, who they have beaten in all three previous H2Hs, including in September’s reverse fixture (1-0). After their setback in Sweden, Francesco Calzona’s men will be looking to avoid back-to-back defeats for the first time since September 2022, while neutrals will be expecting first-half entertainment as Slovakia’s last three games have seen both teams score before the break. [/p]
[p]Estonia, meanwhile, retained their League C status following a goalless draw at the weekend against Azerbaijan, who consequently finished bottom of the group. Despite the Blueshirts’ survival, that latest result underlined what their biggest problem is: putting the ball in the back of the net. [/p]
[p]They have scored in just one of their five UNL games this campaign – a 3-1 home win over Azerbaijan – and haven’t managed to net more than once inside 90 minutes in their last 15 internationals on foreign soil! Indeed, the last time Estonia scored twice or more in normal time as the away side – against San Marino (4-0) in September 2022 – was also the last occasion on which they won on their travels under such conditions, meaning that victory here would be hugely significant despite JĂĽrgen Henn’s squad having nothing to play for at first glance. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Dávid Hancko’s equaliser in Sweden last week was his fifth goalscoring appearance for Slovakia, but from only two of those games has the defender emerged victorious (D1, L2). The 26-year-old will, however, need to keep tabs on Rocco Robert Shein, who registered a goal and an assist against Azerbaijan last month before repeating the feat with club side Dordrecht against Helmond Sport in their last match prior to the international break. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: There hasn’t been a goal inside 20 minutes in any of Estonia’s last seven games. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Alex Bowmer[/i][/p]