Francesco Calzona's men prepare to face Israel in what promises to be a revealing friendly match on June 10, 2025, at Hungary's Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen. The game kicks off at 23:45 Astana time, with both teams using this neutral venue to fine-tune their squads.
Slovakia enters this match following a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Greece in their previous friendly on June 7. What's worse, Ondrej Duda even missed a penalty during that game.
"We need to regroup quickly and show our true quality against Israel," a member of Slovakia's coaching staff might say after their recent performance.
The Slovakian squad has struggled primarily with their attacking efficiency, which ultimately cost them advancement from League C in the Nations League despite losing just one of six matches. They finished behind Sweden by three points and failed to overcome Slovenia in the playoff round.
Interestingly, Ben-Shimon's Israel team has had their own rollercoaster of results recently. After surprisingly reaching the top division of the Nations League, they couldn't maintain their position against powerhouses like Belgium, France, and Italy, dropping back to the second tier.
Israel currently sits second in their World Cup qualification group after winning two of their first three matches. Both victories came against Estonia (2-1 and 3-1), while their only defeat was a 4-2 loss to Norway. The real tests, however, still await them.
The last time these teams met was in 2020 during the Nations League. Their match in Netanya ended in a 1-1 draw, while Israel secured a 3-2 victory in Slovakia.
By the way, this friendly comes at a crucial time for both squads. Slovakia will begin their World Cup 2026 qualification campaign this autumn, making these preparation matches vital for Calzona to identify his strongest lineup.
With both teams likely to experiment with their formations and player combinations in this friendly environment, fans can expect goals from both sides. Will either team find the defensive stability they've been lacking? That remains the key question heading into this encounter.
