Wales manager Rob Page took a big risk playing his second string against Gibraltar and it backfired as the favourites only managed a goalless draw against the minnows.
We're backing Wales to play their strongest possible eleven against Slovakia on Sunday which we see the likes of Daniel James, Kieffer Moore, Brennan Johnson, Ethan Ampadu, Chris Mepham, Ben Davies and Danny Ward all come back into the starting lineup.
However, even the return of their best players might not be enough for Wales to defeat a Slovakia side that defeated San Marino 4-0 in midweek and has some high-quality players of their own that will cause their guests plenty of problems this weekend.
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Slovakia vs Wales prediction: Possible stalemate on the cards?
Key Stats
- When these two countries last locked horns back in 2019 they played out a 1-1 draw.
- Wales are unbeaten in their last six matches, drawing four times.
- Slovakia have only lost one of their last six fixtures.
- Under 2.5 goals have been produced in three of the hosts' and four of the visitors' last six matches.
Pre-game odds and win probability: The odds favour the hosts
- HOME: 23/20 (2.15) – 46.5%
- DRAW: 12/5 (3.40) – 29.4%
- AWAY: 13/5 (3.60) – 27.8%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
You can find all our predictions for today's games on our football betting tips page.
Last five H2Hs: Wales lead
Wales have won three, drawn one and lost one of their previous five encounters with Slovakia.
Euro 2019 Qualifying 10/10/19
Slovakia
Wales
Euro 2019 Qualifying 24/03/19
Wales
Slovakia
Euro 2016 11/06/16
Wales
Slovakia
Slovakia preview: Don't concede a lot of goals
Slovakia might not play their strongest eleven against Wales this weekend as this is the host's last warm-up game before the start of Euro 2024 where they face Belgium in their first group game.
Goalkeepers Martin Dúbravka of Newcastle and Marek Rodák of Fulham provide Slovakai's only Premier League contingent but the squad does also contain players from the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga.
Predicted lineup: Rodák (GK), Pekarík, Gyömbér, Škriniar, De Marco, Hrošovský, Bénes, Suslov, Rigo, Haraslín & Strelec
UEFA Nations League 23/03/25
L
Slovenia
1
Slovakia
0
UEFA Nations League 20/03/25
D
Slovenia
0
Slovakia
0
UEFA Nations League C 19/11/24
W
Estonia
0
Slovakia
1
UEFA Nations League C 16/11/24
L
Sweden
2
Slovakia
1
UEFA Nations League C 14/10/24
W
Azerbaijan
1
Slovakia
3
Wales preview: Failed to score in last two matches
We're expecting Rob Page to go with a much stronger side than faced Gibraltar in midweek, especially as that experiment clearly failed as Wales failed to win a game they were heavy favourites for.
Having Brennan Johnson and Daniel James back in attack will make Wales a much more threatening side on the counter-attack, while Kieffer Moore through the middle offers a target to hit and someone who can hold up the ball and bring teammates into play.
Predicted lineup: Ward (GK), Davies, Cabango, Stevens, Mepham, Sheehan, J. James, Ampadu, D. James, Moore & Johnson
Europe - World Cup Qualifying 25/03/25
D
North Macedonia
1
Wales
1
Europe - World Cup Qualifying 22/03/25
W
Kazakhstan
1
Wales
3
UEFA Nations League B 19/11/24
W
Iceland
1
Wales
4
UEFA Nations League B 16/11/24
D
Tu00fcrkiye
0
Wales
0
UEFA Nations League B 14/10/24
W
Montenegro
0
Wales
1
Player to watch – Brennan Johnson
Tottenham forward Brennan Johnson has played 27 times for Wales but has only managed to score three goals so far.
The 23-year-old is Wales' star player right now but manager Robert Page seems to be struggling to get the best out of the former Nottingham Forest frontman.
Johnson scored five times in the Premier League for Spurs last season but the 23-year-old has only managed to score three times in four years playing for his country and this is something that Page simply has to address.
Needs to add more goals to his game at international level
Johnson does offer a lot more than a goal threat whenever he plays. His direct runs, pace and ability to get into the box and support the striker make him a top-quality player, not to mention his work-rate.
We're backing Johnson to show the Wales fans just what they were missing in the Gibraltar game and while we're not convinced that Page's side will win this game, we do expect them to offer much more going forward.