Slovakia v Wales: Prediction, Tips and Odds

A penalty shootout defeat to Poland in the play-off final means that there is very little to play for for Wales in this international break but Rob Page’s men will be hoping to scupper Slovakia’s preparations for Euro 2024 when they meet in Trnava.

The Dragons lacked potency and a cutting edge in their recent goalless draw with Gibraltar - a nation ranked 203rd in the world by FIFA - and a trickier test is expected against the Falcons, who themselves are 48th.

Slovakia qualified for the finals in Germany in second place in Group J behind runaway group winners Portugal and their recent form shows a lot of promise heading into the tournament, with just three defeats from their last 16 matches.

Slovakia v Wales betting tips and predictions

Slovakia to win and both teams to score @ 15/4

While Wales do boast a superior head-to-record over Slovakia - winning three and losing just one of their five total meetings with the Falcons - the Dragons may struggle for victory on Sunday given the gluttony of inexperience within Page’s side.

Ten of the 11 starters against Gibraltar on Thursday have fewer than 10 appearances for their country - the only exception being Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo with 12 - while 14 members of this squad are yet to reach double digits for Wales.

This could play into the hands of Slovakia, who have a wealth of experience to call upon for the upcoming Euros, with the likes of defender Peter Pekarik and Juraj Kucka both wearing the blue and white of the Falcons on more than 100 occasions.

Their form heading into this encounter is also strong with four wins from their last six, while their home record has also been impressive across recent fixtures in winning three of their last four in front of their own fans - including a 4-2 victory over Iceland who recently won 1-0 at Wembley against England.

With Francesco Calzona looking to keep momentum on his side heading into Germany, a home victory looks the likeliest result but all may not go the way of the Falcons. 

Four of the five historical meetings between Slovakia and Wales have seen both sides find the back of the net and, with the likes of Brennan Johnson and Kieffer Moore to call upon up top, the visitors could have the talent to get on the scoresheet.

Chris Mepham to be carded @ 11/2

Both Slovakia and Wales picked up their fair share of yellow cards in qualifying and so a feisty encounter could be the order of the day in Trnava.

The Falcons saw 17 yellow cards shown their way in Group J, however only seven of these were shown during home fixtures, where they lost just one of their five matches (1-0 to Portugal).

The Dragons were worse from a disciplinary standpoint with 21 bookings and so they could be the more tempting option in the cards market.

Defender Chris Mepham topped the booking charts during the qualification stages with six yellow cards - alongside Luxembourg’s Christopher Martins - and, after being rested against San Marino, will likely feature in some capacity on Sunday and could find himself in the eyeline of the referee yet again.

Robert Bozenik to score anytime @ 13/5

Since talismanic midfielder, captain and all-time Slovakia top goalscorer Marek Hamsik retired from football in 2023, the Falcons have been searching for somebody to effectively lead the way in front of goal.

Only Juraj Kucka and Ondrej Duda have netted more than 10 goals for Slovakia in their squad - although these have come via longevity rather than clinicality given that they have a combined 177 appearances between them.

Calzona will be hoping his forwards can take up the goalscoring mantle and Boavista striker Robert Bozenik could be the man to do so.

The 24-year-old has six international goals to his name, the joint-best of any forward in the Slovakia squad, and given he is expected to be the preferred starter for Calzona, he should receive minutes against Wales and so looks a good bet in the goalscorer market.

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Slovakia v Wales odds

Slovakia - 21/20
Draw - 23/10
Wales - 9/4

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.