In the depths of FIFA’s world rankings, San Marino hopes to avoid another humbling defeat as they face Slovenia in Euro 2024 qualifying.
Match Preview:
San Marino endured a harsh defeat by Denmark, with only 14% possession and facing 32 shots in Copenhagen.
Fortunately, they lost 4-0. La Serenissima suffered 2-0 defeats against Northern Ireland and Slovenia initially but were then beaten 3-0 by Kazakhstan and thrashed 6-0 by Finland.
This dismal performance led to San Marino conceding 17 goals without reply in Group H, earning them the worst record in Euro 2024 qualifying.
In fact, La Serenissima has lost 80 of their 81 European Championship qualifiers, with just one draw, 357 goals conceded, and eight goals scored. San Marino’s history suggests another tough evening when Slovenia visits.
Slovenia, on the other hand, is eager to reignite their qualifying campaign after a 4-2 victory over Northern Ireland.
The Slovenians started their qualification journey with wins over Kazakhstan and San Marino but faced challenges with a 2-0 defeat against Finland and a 1-1 draw with Denmark.
Thanks to their recent triumph, Slovenia now shares second place with Denmark in Group H, with Finland leading by just two points.
San Marino Euro Champ Qualifying form:
- L
- L
- L
- L
- L
San Marino form (all competitions):
- L
- L
- L
- L
- L
- L
Slovenia Euro Champ Qualifying form:
- W
- W
- L
- D
- W
Slovenia form (all competitions):
- W
- W
- W
- L
- D
- W
Team News:
San Marino manager Fabrizio Costantini utilized a 3-5-2 formation against Denmark, with Simone Franciosi, Roberto Di Maio, and Dante Rossi as center-backs.
Lorenzo Capicchioni, a 21-year-old midfielder, fueled the engine room, while Alessandro Tosi and Manuel Battistini served as wing-backs.
Veteran striker Matteo Vitaioli may start on Sunday, but his international goal tally remains at one.
In contrast, Slovenia boasts big-name players like Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
Sesko partners with Panathinaikos striker Andraz Sporar in attack, while Stojanovic, Cerin, Elsnik, and Mlakar operate in midfield in a 4-4-2 formation.
Possible Lineups:
San Marino:
- Benedettini
- Franciosi
- Di Maio
- Rossi
- Battistini
- Golinucci
- Capicchioni
- Lazzari
- Tosi
- Tomassini
- Ceccaroli
Slovenia:
- Oblak
- Karnicnik
- Brekalo
- Bijol
- Janza
- Stojanovic
- Cerin
- Elsnik
- Mlakar
- Sporar
- Sesko
Prediction:
San Marino 0-4 Slovenia
In Serravalle, anything other than a high-scoring away win would be a big shock, so we expect Slovenia to cruise to a comfortable victory on Sunday.
