Best Odds: 10/11
Bookmaker:
With it all still to play for in Group E on Wednesday evening, Spain will face off against Slovakia in Seville for what is a must-win finale for the former world champions on home soil.
Slovakia
Starting with Slovakia, while The Falcons might have managed to shock many as they landed a 2-1 win against Poland when opening this summer s delayed European Championships on June 14th, Štefan Tarkovič s side failed to build off of that performance last time out. Heavily outplayed against Sweden in Saint Petersburg and hit with a deserved late 1-0 defeat against The Yellows, their returning boss should take some solace from the fact that his side still holds their destiny in their own hands. With Wednesday s hosts enduring a lacklustre start to their Group E campaign, Slovakia have shown some continued issues since that penalties victory against Northern Ireland seven months ago. Having to settle for back-to-back 1-1 friendly draws against Austria and Bulgaria when preparing for the summer, The Falcons also dropped shock points against Cyprus and Malta in March s World Cup qualifiers. While Slovakia might open their midweek finale sat in that lucrative second-spot, they certainly face a stern test in Seville.
Team News
Defender Denis Vavro will once again miss out on Wednesday evening as he remains in isolation after returning a positive COVID-19 test.
Aside from Ivan Schranz who will also once again miss out in midweek due to a knock, Slovakia boss Štefan Tarkovič doesn t have any fresh headaches on his hands.
Spain
As for Spain, while the former world and European champions might have signed off their pre-tournament preparations with a 4-0 romp against Lithuania, La Roja have really failed to build off of that performance. Throwing away their first-half lead in Seville and having to settle for a shock 1-1 draw against a struggling Poland, Luis Enrique s inexperienced squad has come under real scrutiny. Despite opening this summer s delayed championships tipped as one of the standout picks, the former Barcelona boss finds his side in a real battle to secure an automatic route out of Group E. Opening Wednesday s finale sat in third spot and one-point adrift of Slovakia heading into a must-win showdown, Spain have only continued to gain a reputation for their struggles in the final third. Lacking a real clinical edge this summer and recording just a single strike so far, Enrique s men have also managed to win just four of their last 11 matchups across all formats, a run that stems back to October.
Team News
While his pre-tournament COVID-19 test might have thrown Spain s preparations into havoc, Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has been given the green light to feature in Seville.
Manchester City forward Ferran Torres is pushing for a recall to lead Luis Enrique s side in midweek.
Key Factors to Consider
