Slovakia prepare to take on Bosnia and Herzegovina twice in the space of five days in their World Cup qualification group.
Their chances of automatic qualification for Brazil 2014 now look very slim.
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Slovakia’s chances of automatic qualification for Brazil 2014 have not quite disappeared entirely, but a more realistic ambition appears to be securing the play-off place in Group G at the expense of Greece.
Jan Kozak’s side currently sit third in the standings with nine points from six games, three points behind the Greeks.
However, to make any ground up they will have to take points off unbeaten leaders Bosnia and Herzegovina, who they meet in back-to-back games over the next five days, the first game away and the next home.
Slovakia enter a crucial part of the campaign without any kind of form though – they have drawn their last four matches and are without a win in eight.
And in Edin Dzeko of Manchester City and Vedad Ibisevic of VfB Stuttgart, they will face a potent striking partnership which between them has accounted for a quarter of all the goals scored in Group G.
Kozak, however, trying to be positive:
“I expect a good game, Bosnia have good players and a lot to offer, but we have something to offer too. I can’t predict the result, we’ll see.”
And if Slovakia’s task was not difficult enough already, the next two fixtures for Greece sees them travel to bottom-nation Liechtenstein on Friday before taking on fifth-placed Latvia in Piraeus on Tuesday.
