Both stepping up their preparations for this summer's European Championships, Slovakia will play host to Austria at Stadion Tehelne Pole during an international friendly.
The Falcons come into this game looking to continue their stellar form at the end of 2023, and the same can be said of Das Team, who face a difficult group in Germany in the summer.
Match preview
© Reuters
Slovakia enter the 2024 international calendar having enjoyed a highly-productive end to their Euro qualifying campaign, seeing them earn progression into the tournament in Germany courtesy of three-straight wins to close out 2023, beating Luxembourg, Iceland and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
A trip to Stadion Bilino Polje was the final bit of action for the Falcons in Group J, and they managed to win narrowly in Zenica to finish with 22 points from 10 matches in the section, with goals from Robert Bozenik and Lubomir Satka securing all three points for the visitors.
Francesco Calzona will be confident of his side's progression and chances of going far into the Euros in Germany considering that his side only lost two matches in 2023 - both to the might of Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal - with Slovakia's most-recent defeat before those arriving in September versus Azerbaijan.
Looking ahead to this summer's tournament, the Falcons have been drawn into a competitive-looking group containing Belgium and Romania, as well as the winner of Playoff Path B, meaning that Calzona's side will back themselves to sneak through into the last-16 stage of the competition.
Matches between Slovakia and Austria have been rather drab affairs in recent times, with the last two matches, both friendlies, ending in goalless in June 2021 and November 2016, with the Falcons' most-recent success over Das Team coming all the way back in August 2011.
© Reuters
As is the case with Saturday's hosts Slovakia, Austria are coming into this friendly encounter looking to extend their winning run to four matches across all competitions, following victories over Azerbaijan, Estonia and most notably Germany before the end of the previous calendar year.
Ralf Rangnick - often touted as one of the smartest minds on the European circuit - did not have a great time during his interim period in charge of Manchester United, but the 65-year-old has won 10 of his opening 18 matches as manager of Das Team, losing on just five occasions.
With qualification to Euro 2024 wrapped up in October, Austria were able to take the handbrake off during their friendly clash with neighbours Germany in November, when goals either side of the half-time whistle from Marcel Sabitzer and Christoph Baumgartner secured back-to-back wins versus Die Mannschaft for the first time since the 1930s.
Das Team will have cherished facing an elite European nation at the end of 2023, especially when considering their Euro 2024 schedule, with Rangnick's side placed into Group D alongside 2022 World Cup finalists France, the Netherlands and the winner of Playoff Path A - potentially Rob Page's Wales.
Austria have fared well on their travels in recent times, winning four and drawing one of their last five away matches across all competitions, with their most-recent loss on the road arriving Stade de France in the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League in September 2022, when Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud netted in a 2-0 win for Didier Deschamps's troops.
Team News
© Reuters
Slovakia are without the services of centre-back Milan Skriniar due to an ankle injury, but the Paris Saint-Germain man will be fit for selection at the Euros, barring another fitness issue.
Another Falcons defender sidelined until early April is Copenhagen's Denis Vavro, who has featured 19 times for his national side since making his debut in December 2016.
Austria suffered a major blow in December, when captain David Alaba suffered a cruciate ligament injury whilst playing for Real Madrid, ruling him out for the remainder of the campaign and possibly Euro 2024.
Manprit Sarkaria is in a similar situation as he battles back from a broken ankle, with the winger sustaining the issue during Sturm Graz's 3-0 loss to Lille earlier this month.
Das Team are also unable to call upon former Stoke City attacker Marko Arnautovic during this international break due to a hamstring injury.
Slovakia possible starting lineup:
Rodak; Pakarik, Satka, Jirka; Hancko; Duda, Hrosovsky, Benes; Suslov, Mak, Bozenik
Austria possible starting lineup:
A Schlager; Posch, Lienhart, Danso, Mwene; Baumgartner, Seiwald, X Schlager; Laimer, Sabitzer, Gregoritsch
We say: Slovakia 1-1 Austria
With both sides coming into this clash in a good vein of form, we are expecting a hard-fought encounter between the teams on Saturday afternoon.
Austria are without their talismanic figure in Alaba whilst Slovakia are weaker defensively without Skriniar, so we are predicting a draw in this friendly.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
