Soccer: Slovakia will challenge Northern Ireland (EURO U21 2023 Qualifiers, preview)
ŽILINA. The Slovak national football team under the age of 21 has a rival in the March home double match of the C-group of the ME 2023 qualification.
they will first try to revive with their peers from Northern Ireland in Žilina, whom they will host on Friday from 4.00 pm. On Tuesday, they will welcome the favored Spaniards at the same time and place.
In both initial mutual confrontations, the young Slovaks succumbed to these teams, but in Northern Ireland (0: 1) and Spain (2: 3) they reached a point gain and came with the collected goals from the white point.
Thanks to the converted eleven Ethan Galbraith in the second half, the islanders scored only two victories in the qualifying group. We both achieved it at home.
They lost outside in Malta, Russia and Spain. In the previous case, they were not enough for Malta or their own stadium.
“After the match we played there, we know it’s definitely an opponent. They profess duels, but they also want to play football. We need to get the ball to the ground, we want to be in the wing to surprise our opponents.
They play typical island football, it’s about a lot of fights, they shrink space and are looking to go to fast breaks. We will try to prevent it, be on the ball and control the game, “said Mário Auxt, assistant coach Jaroslav Kentoš, at Thursday’s pre-match briefing.
Midfielder Martin Šviderský from Manchester United junior regularly encounters this style of football: “I still play such matches in England, but I think the whole team is used to it. We have some experience from the previous match, we know what every year.
We will be ready for everything. We had excellent preparation for the video, but also on the field. We will do our best to manage and win. “
The Slovak Twenty-One has nine points in its account after six duels, when it won three times and lost three times. The form of the table is questionable, in which Russia was in second place six points ahead of Slovakia.
The European Football Union (UEFA) has suspended Russian national teams from all competitions for invading Ukraine. Slovakia lost in Russia 0: 3, retaliation was to take place in the final tenth round on June 7.
There is a 15-point Spain, which is the only one to play both with Russia (win at home 4: 1, away outside 0: 1). The winners of nine groups and the best team from the second places will advance directly to the European Championship 2023. The remaining eight teams from the second places will share the remaining four seats in the playoffs.
“Our desire, of course, is in some way in Northern Ireland so that we have something to beat, how many starting positions we have. We know how many players who worked in Žilina, so it might suit us in this two-match,” Auxov added.