Mark O’Haire’s Football Tips – Germany v Slovakia

on May 29, 2016 at 10:39 am

Germany ramp up their European Championship preparations on Sunday afternoon with the world champions hosting Slovakia at Augsburg’s WWK Arena.

Germany v Slovakia, Sunday 29th May 2016 (16.45), BT Sport 2
Joachim Low’s decided to rotate his troops this weekend, giving a number of fringe players the chance to impress. And considering Die Mannschaft’s record in friendly matches since the World Cup two years ago (W2-D1-L4), Slovakia stand a decent chance.

Decent Repre
The Repre managed to beat Spain and Ukraine en-route to finishing second in their qualification group and boast a number of handy players, capable of hurting opponents. Napoli’s Marek Hamsik is the obvious candidate and unlike their hosts, Slovakia will be fielding a full-strength XI here.

The visitors cruised past Georgia on Thursday with a second-string side, preferring to put their focus on the Germans, knowing this encounter would be a good barometer with the Euros now less than a fortnight away.

Goals Galore
It might not sound like the most glamorous of matches but I’ve a feeling we’ll be treated to a few goals. Germany possess a galaxy of attacking stars in forward areas but have only managed one clean sheet in nine internationals – and that came against lowly Gibraltar.

Both Teams To Score has proven profitable in nine of Germany’s past 10 on home soil, with all 10 games featuring three goals or more. It’s a similar story for Slovakia with the Repre involved in five BTTS winners from six with a total of 23 goals plundered across those encounters.