On Thursday, September 4, at the Tehelné pole in Bratislava, Slovakia and Germany kick off Group A of the UEFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers. Julian Nagelsmann’s side starts as the clear favorite in this prediction: the group, which also includes Northern Ireland and Luxembourg, looks well within reach for the four-time World Cup winners. The goal is clear: finish first and secure direct qualification for the World Cup in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Once there, Germany will aim to redeem themselves after the disastrous Qatar 2022 campaign, which ended with a group-stage exit. Slovakia, under coach Francesco Calzona, will aim for at least second place and a playoff spot. Their biggest rival for that goal is Northern Ireland, while Luxembourg seems destined to play the role of underdog. For Germany, this opening match is also a chance to bounce back after their disappointment in the Nations League, where they were eliminated in the semifinals by Portugal. Despite some key absences in attack, Germany has everything it takes to win and start strong on their road to the World Cup. Slovakia, one of the emerging teams in European football, knows the task will be tough, but a positive result against the German powerhouse would give them huge momentum ahead of the crucial September 7 clash with Luxembourg — a must-win to keep alive their dream of returning to a World Cup, 16 years after their only participation.

Slovakia's Recent Form and Key Stats

Slovakia was one of the surprises in the latest UEFA Nations League, coming close to promotion to League B. Drawn in Group 1, they finished second behind Sweden with 13 points in six matches (4 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss). Their promotion dream ended in the playoff against Slovenia, lost 1-0 after extra time.

Ahead of the Germany clash, Calzona’s side played two friendlies in June against Greece and Israel, both ending in defeats (4-1 and 1-0).

At home, however, the Falcons are a tough opponent. They haven’t lost a competitive home match since September 8, 2023 (0-1 vs Portugal). In their last four official home matches, Lobotka and his teammates defeated Azerbaijan and Estonia, drew with Sweden and Slovenia, kept three clean sheets, and scored a total of 5 goals.

Germany's Recent Form and Key Stats

Germany has not played since June, when they suffered back-to-back defeats in the UEFA Nations League finals: 2-1 in the semifinal against Portugal and 2-0 in the third-place match against France. Those losses ended a 15-match unbeaten streak in official games, during which Nagelsmann’s men won Group 3 of League A with 14 points and knocked out Italy in the quarterfinals.

The four-time World Champions, whose last international triumph dates back to 2014, boast an impressive away record: 15 consecutive away matches unbeaten in official competitions. In the latest Nations League campaign, Germany won 2-1 away in Bosnia and Italy, while drawing 2-2 against the Netherlands and 1-1 with Hungary.

Slovakia vs Germany Prediction and Tactical Overview

While Germany remain the favorite in this prediction, the clash with Slovakia may be trickier than expected. Calzona’s team is strong at home, with a compact and experienced defense led by Milan Skriniar, former Inter and Paris Saint-Germain defender.

Germany, on the other hand, travels to Bratislava with several key absences in attack. Nagelsmann cannot count on long-term injured Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz, nor on Deniz Undav, who scored 13 goals last season for Stuttgart. The main striker will be Nick Waltemade. 

Considering Slovakia’s defensive solidity and Germany’s missing firepower, BetMines’ algorithm predicts a low-scoring match, with no more than two total goals.

• Slovakia vs Germany prediction by BetMines: Under 2.5 goals with 53% probability
  
  
• Slovakia vs Germany prediction by BetMines: Over 2.5 goals with 47% probability

Slovakia vs Germany predicted lineups

SLOVAKIA (4-3-3): Dubravka; Pekarik, Skriniar, Gyomber, Hancko; Duda, Lobotka, Bero; Schranz, Bozenik, Duris. Coach: Francesco Calzona

GERMANY (4-2-3-1): Baumann; Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Raum; Goretzka, Stiller; Adeyemi, Wirtz, Gnabry; Woltemade. Coach: Julian Nagelsmann