Slovenia hosts Russia in round 8 of the World Cup qualification. The match will be played on Monday, October 11th at Ljudski vrt (Maribor)
The national team of Slovenia is on the 3rd line in the standings (ten points). The Slovenes chalked up three victories, one draw, and three defeats. They are going through this qualification with inconsistent results. Kek's footballers scored seven points in three home games, beating Croatia (1-0) and Malta (1-0) and tying against Slovakia (1-1). However, Slovenia is not so strong away. In four away matches, the team earned only three points. They were scored on October 8 in the confrontation against the Maltese (0-4). In the match in Valletta, the Slovenes did not experience any serious problems. The team leader Josip Ilicic scored a brace, and Andraz Sporar and Benjamin Sesko also upset the opponents’ goalkeeper.
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The Russian national team is in 2nd place in the qualifying group (16 points after seven matches). Valeri Karpin's footballers gained five victories and one draw and suffered one defeat. The Russians have not yet lost under the management of Valeri Karpin. Stanislav Cherchesov's successor made his national debut in September in a home match against Croatia (0-0), and then he achieved victories over Cyprus (0-2) and Malta (2-0). On October 8, Karpin's team played a very tough home match against the Slovak national team. The Russians gained a 1-0 victory thanks to an own goal by defender Milan Skrinjar in the 24th minute. Having obtained a minimal advantage, the Russians gave the initiative to the visitors, who created tension near the box of Matvey Safonov until the final whistle. The nature of the game is displayed by post-match statistics. The Russians possessed the ball 26% of the playing time and delivered only one shot on target in 90 minutes.
The upcoming match is important for both teams. For Slovenia, the home game against Karpin's players is the last chance to break into the fight for the top two lines in the standings. The Slovenes will only be satisfied with the victory. Draw or defeat will be fatal for the hosts. A draw will be enough for the Russian team to guarantee participation in the playoffs. However, only a victory in Maribor will leave Russia a significant chance to compete with Croatia for a direct ticket to Qatar. Most likely, the Russians’ winning streak of three matches will be interrupted next Monday. Over-motivated Slovenes, who have excellent statistics of home games, will create problems for Karpin's footballers. The Russian team looked very pale in Kazan, and it is unlikely that it will be able to keep a clean sheet again.
Prediction for the match: Slovenia to win with 0.0 handicap
