This Thursday, Matchday 5 of the 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament will feature Slovakia facing Germany at the Tehelné pole stadium in Bratislava. Expectations are high for a match filled with goals.
Match Preview
Slovakia has typically been a mid-level team in European qualifiers, but they’ve struggled to finish strong due to limited attacking options. In the last qualifying cycle, they avoided defeat in 8 of their 10 matches but managed only three wins, falling short of World Cup qualification. Under coach Francesco Calzona, they play cautiously, particularly at home, where they’ve lost only once in their last nine World Cup qualifying games.
However, Slovakia’s defense is a concern, often allowing opponents to create goal-scoring opportunities, with only three clean sheets in their previous qualifiers—two against lower-ranked Cyprus. Now, they face one of Europe’s top attacking teams, leaving little margin for error.
Germany remains a strong force in qualifying, having scored 36 goals in their last 10 matches. Despite some recent struggles in major tournaments, they are unbeaten in their last 18 World Cup qualifying away games.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team counts on fast wing play and persistent pressing from the start. Germany typically doesn’t settle for narrow victories and often scores quickly after taking the lead. Slovakia may challenge, but stopping Germany’s offense for 90 minutes will be difficult.
Probable Lineups
- Slovakia: Dúbravka, Škriniar, Hancko, Ďomberger, Obert, Duda, Lobotka, Haraslín, Grošovski, Strelec, Boženík
- Germany: Baumann, Tah, Mittelstädt, Rüdiger, Raum, Gnabry, Wirtz, Kimmich, Goretzka, Groß, Woltemade
Match Facts and Head-to-Head
- Germany is unbeaten in World Cup qualifying for 31 consecutive matches.
- Slovakia has scored in 7 of their last 9 qualifying games.
- Germany has scored at least three goals in 11 of their last 14 away qualifiers.
Prediction
Given Slovakia’s decent home record, it’s unlikely they will hold back Germany’s offensive power for the full 90 minutes. The Germans take qualifying very seriously and often dominate their opponents, especially in away matches. We predict “Total over 2.5 goals” at odds of 1.73.
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