Euro 2016 Qualifier: Spain vs. Slovakia Preview, Live Stream, TV Schedule
Spain and Slovakia will look to score their second win in the 2014 European Championship qualifiers when they collide on Thursday at the Stadion MSK Zilina in Slovakia.
Both teams jump-started their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign on the right foot. Slovakia scored a 1-0 win against Ukraine last month, while Spain ran away with a 5-1 win against Macedonia.
Spain, who are looking to successfully defend their title this year, will be a heavy favorite to win against Slovakia in their qualifying match, but the pressure will be on the Spanish side because most of their fans are expecting another blowout win the way they won last month.
All eyes will be on Spain striker Diego Costa, who has been under fire after failing to score for his country in five games. Koke, who previously played with Costa at Atletico Madrid, believes that the striker will live up to expectations this time after a disappointing stint in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
"He has told me he is looking forward to scoring. At the moment they aren't coming but after the first then they will start to flow," Koke said via Daily Mail. "He is a goalscorer and it will work out with the national team. In England he is scoring from everywhere and it has worked out for him to go there."
Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque is also aware that most fans have doubts about Costa's ability to lead Spain to a major title, but the veteran manager is still confident that 26-year-old will eventually find his mark.
"I have a lot of confidence in him that he is going to do very well," Del Bosque said via The Star. "I think that he can be very important for us as I believe in his qualities. He has put his faith in us and we have put ours in him. If I had seen anything that made me doubt him then I would say it."
The Spain-Slovakia Euro 2016 qualifying match is scheduled to start at 2:45 p.m. EST Thursday. It will be shown live on Sky Sports in United Kingdom and ESPN 2 in the United States. Online live stream will also be available via Sky Go App and WatchESPN.
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