Match Preview: Malta 0-6 Slovakia Prediction and Betting Tips | World Cup – Qualification

Malta – Slovakia Prediction Prediction and Tips for today, November 14, 2021

Malta – Slovakia Match Preview

• Malta (W1, D2, L6) are aiming to avoid finishing bottom of World Cup Qualifying (WCQ) Group H, but whatever the result here this will be their most successful WCQ campaign ever in terms of points. However, they must recover from a 7-1 hammering by Croatia on Thursday, their third WCQ game in four (D1, L3) which saw them 1-0 down after just ten minutes.
• That was also their fourth consecutive WCQ home match to feature over 2.5 goals since they drew 1-1 with the Faroe Islands last November (W1, L3) so this fixture should feature action, albeit most likely at the wrong end for the home side. However, a hammering isn’t guaranteed as although they’ve lost all three previous home H2Hs, none were by more than a two-goal margin.
• A Slovakia side that can still finish third in the group (W2, D5, L2) will not take their opponents lightly after being held to a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture. Another 2-2 draw on Thursday against Slovenia – their rivals for third place – showed their battling qualities as they twice came from a goal down so they’ll now look to finish on a high.
• Having opened this campaign with a 0-0 draw in Cyprus, the ‘Falcons’ have struggled on foreign soil and haven’t won outside of Slovakia in five matches (D2, L3). In fact, they haven’t won a WCQ away fixture since June 2017 (D3, L3), highlighting an obvious area for improvement when qualifying for Euro 2024 gets underway.
• Players to watch: Malta’s Jurgen Degabriele was credited with an assist against Croatia and netted an injury-time equaliser against Cyprus last month. Meanwhile, Ondrej Duda’s strike for Slovakia against Slovenia was his first for club or country since April – three of his six international goals have been game openers.
• Hot stat: None of the previous nine H2Hs (Slovakia: W7, D2) were goalless at half-time.