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Slovakia v Spain: What the stats say ahead Euro 2020 cracker

Slovakia have won only one of their six meetings with Spain (D1 L4), a home victory in a European Championship qualifier back in October 2014 (2-1). This is their first encounter at a major tournament.

Spain have won all three of their previous matches on home soil against Slovakia, scoring 11 goals and conceding two.

Slovakia are unbeaten in their final group stage game at both of their previous two major tournaments, winning 3-2 against Italy at the 2010 World Cup and drawing 0-0 with England at EURO 2016. They have progressed from the group stages at both previous tournaments.

Spain have drawn both of their EURO 2020 matches so far; in European Championship history, only one side have drawn all three of their games in a single group stage – Portugal in 2016, who would go on to win the entire tournament that year.

Slovakia had 10 shots without a single one landing on target in their 1-0 defeat to Sweden; this was only the fifth instance of a team having 10+ shots but zero on target in a EUROs game since 1980, and the first since Croatia against Portugal at EURO 2016 (17 efforts, 0 on target).

Including one as caretaker manager in 2018, Štefan Tarkovic has only lost two of his 11 matches in charge of Slovakia in all competitions (W4 D5 L2), one of which was last time out against Sweden; Slovakia are yet to lose back-to-back games under him.

Spain have drawn each of their last four major tournament matches (World Cup and Euros); among European nations, only Italy (five from 1980 to 1982) have ever had a longer run of successive such draws.

Slovakia full-back Peter Pekarik earned his 103rd cap for his country in the 1-0 defeat to Sweden. An appearance against Spain would see him go level with Martin Škrtel on 104 caps in joint-third on the all-time list of caps for Slovakia. The only two players with more than Škrtel are Marek Hamšík (128) and Miroslav Karhan (107).

Read Also: Portugal v France: What the stats say ahead Euro 2020 showdown

Spain have missed five of their last eight penalties taken in the European Championship finals (excluding shootouts), a run spanning back to the 1984 tournament. Indeed, prior to MD3 of this year’s tournament, since the start of that 1984 edition, Spain’s five missed penalties is more than any nation has scored at the tournament in this period (Czech Republic, France, Netherlands, Spain & Sweden have all scored four since).

Since his debut for the national side in October 2019, Gerard Moreno has been directly involved in nine goals for Spain (five goals, four assists), more than any other player for them in this time.

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