San Marino vs Slovenia: Head to head statistics
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San Marino vs Slovenia match preview
Having picked up a crucial victory on Thursday, Slovenia travel to Serravalle confident of adding three more points to their tally.
In mid-week, Matjaž Kek’s team beat Northern Ireland 4-2 at Stožice Stadium and it was the two strikers who were the stars of the show.
Andraž Šporar broke the deadlock and then wrapped up the victory later on, with his striker-partner Benjamin Šeško scoring a magnificent goal on the turn in-between.
This victory leaves Slovenia on ten points at the half-way mark, with their sole defeat, so far, coming in Helsinki in June.
Kek’s side are therefore currently third, just one point above Kazakhstan, below Denmark on goal difference and only two points adrift current leaders Finland.
With huge games against all of their direct competitors to come in October and November, Slovenia will be confident of victory here, as they aim to reach a first major tournament since 2010.
San Marino meantime continue to be... well San Marino, continuing in the role of archetypical international football minnows.
On Thursday, Fabrizio Costantini’s team were beaten 4-0 at Parken by Denmark, which is actually a respectable scoreline.
In this group, la Serenissima have lost all five matches, conceding 17 times and scoring zero, with their most-recent competitive goal coming in a 7-1 defeat to Poland almost exactly two years ago.
San Marino have still never won a competitive international, drawing five and losing 165, currently enduring a sequence of 40 successive defeats in qualifiers.
The reverse fixture did only end 2-0 to Slovenia in Ljubljana, but an even more emphatic margin of victory seems likely at Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle.
San Marino team news
Lorenzo Lazzari is the last San Marino player to score a goal, this coming in a friendly against Saint Lucia in November, while it’s 735 days since their most-recent competitive goal.
This was scored by star striker Nicola Nanni who’s currently out injured.
Slovenia team news
Strikers Andraž Šporar and Benjamin Šeško ran Northern Ireland ragged in Ljubljana on Thursday, and both will fancy their chances of further adding to their respective goal tallies in Serravalle.
Centre-back David Brekalo is suspended, having been booked in Slovenia’s last two fixtures.