© EuroFootball.com
The Slovak team is facing the Lithuanian national football team for the second time in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.
Two years ago, this team already participated in the world championships, and new hope is now associated with the coaching duo and two stars - defender Martin Skrtel and midfielder Marek Hamsik.
The first match between the teams in Vilnius in September 2012 ended in a 1-1 draw. Since then, the Lithuanian national team has changed significantly, with at least five players who competed back then not present now.
Slovakia has suffered fewer losses. Key players include defenders Vladimir Weiss ("Pescara") and Miroslav Stoch ("Fenerbahce"), who scored the most beautiful goal of the last year in the world.
The team leaders remain Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel and Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik. In this qualifying cycle, midfielder Marek Sapara of "Trabzonspor" has scored three goals, one of which was against Lithuania.
The Slovak team is coached by the duo of former national team assistant coach Michal Hipp, 49, and former well-known player and youth team coach Stanislav Griga, 50.
In this qualifying cycle, the Slovak national team at home defeated Liechtenstein 2:0, Latvia 2:1, and lost to Greece 0:1. In the last friendly matches, they lost 0:3 to the Czech Republic and 1:2 to Belgium.
Composition of the Slovak national team for the match against Lithuania:
Goalkeepers: Dusan Pernis (Pogon Szczecin, Poland), Dusan Kuciak (Legia Warsaw, Poland), Matús Putnocký (Slovan Bratislava)
Defenders: Lukas Pauschek (Slovan Bratislava), Martin Skrtel (Liverpool FC, England), Tomas Hubocan (Zenit St. Petersburg, Russia), Kornel Salata (Rostov FC, Russia), Marek Cech (Trabzonspor, Turkey), Marian Cisovsky (Viktoria Plzen, Czech Republic), Jan Durica (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia), Dusan Svento (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria)
Midfielders: Juraj Kucka (Genoa FC), Viktor Pecovsky (MSK Zilina), Lubomir Guldan (Ludogorets Razgrad, Bulgaria), Marek Hamsik (Napoli, Italy), Marek Sapara (Trabzonspor, Turkey), Richard Lasik (Brescia Calcio, Italy), Robert Mak (FC Nurnberg, Germany)
Forwards: Marek Bakos (Viktoria Plzen, Czech Republic), Martin Jakubko (Amkar Perm, Russia), Michal Duris (Viktoria Plzen, Czech Republic), Filip Holosko (Besiktas, Turkey)
