Slovenia to Finish Bottom of Group C

Slovenia may never get a better shot at making it into the knockout rounds of a World Cup but Al Dannity thinks they will fall short in South Africa.

How they got here
Slovenia’s home form proved decisive in its progression through the opening group phase of qualification. Home wins over Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Poland, and San Marino, coupled with a draw at home to the Czech Republic, helped offset Slovenia’s mediocre performances on the road. Defeats at Northern Ireland and the Czech Republic meant Slovenia needed to up their game on the road down the stretch. When it came to the crunch they delivered with victories at lowly San Marino and a vital 2-0 win in Slovakia to secure a place in the playoffs.

Russia beat Slovenia 2-1 in the first leg of the playoff but once again the home form of Matjaz Kek’s side came to its rescue. A 1-0 win in the home leg was enough for Slovenia to book a place in the 2010 World Cup on the away goals rule.

Who to watch
Unlike many of their European counterparts, Slovenia brings few recognisable names to South Africa. The best known player in the squad is Milivoje Novakovic who plays for Cologne in Germany’s Bundesliga. The striker has proven himself as a potent threat in the German top flight and scored five goals for Slovenia in the qualifiers.

Two of the Slovenian squad currently play in Serie A. Goalkeeper Samir Handanovic is a regular with Udinese and the national team. By contrast Inter’s Rene Krhin has only played 82 minutes in Serie A across five games. The 19 year old midfielder has shown plenty of potential and could have a breakout tournament in South Africa if given an opportunity. West Brom’s Robert Koren is will bring his experience of battling through the English Premier League (EPL) and Championship to the Slovenian midfield. Koren helped West Brom secure promotion back to the EPL in 2010 and will hope for more success in South Africa. The form of Handanovic, Novakovic, and Koren will be critical when considering World Cup betting with Slovenia.

How they will perform
There are always a couple of teams from Europe who make fans wonder how they got through the qualifiers. Slovenia certainly fits that bill. This is a team lacking star power, with horrible road form, and a poor history in previous competitions. After making early exits in the 2000 European Championships and 2002 World Cup there’s little in terms of history to back a shock from Slovenia in the group stages. One team has to come last Group C and none looks more suited to that role than Slovenia.

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