Slovakia captain Marek Hamsik's team doesn’t feel under any extra pressure against Russia on Friday, despite needing victory to have a chance of qualifying for the Euro 2012 football championships, he told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
Russia lead Group B on 17 points with only Friday’s match against Slovakia and Tuesday’s home game against Andorra remaining in the campaign. A draw at Slovakia and a win against Andorra is enough for Russia to qualify.
Slovakia, three points behind, beat Russia 1-0 in Moscow last year and are aware they need to at least match that result Friday and then defeat Macedonia on Tuesday if they are to snatch the top spot.
“We don’t feel any added pressure just because we have to win,” Hamsik said during a training break. “It’s a regular situation: Tomorrow we need to win.”
Hamsik is a talismanic figure for Slovakia and Napoli, where he is enjoying a flying start to the Serie A season that has seen them down both Milan clubs. Hamsik missed a penalty but later scored in a 3-0 away defeat of 10-man Inter in their last league match, on Saturday.
Slovakia are suffering a bad run of form that culminated in last month’s 4-0 home drubbing by Armenia, which coach Vladimir Weiss put down to excessive tiredness from the 0-0 draw with Ireland four days earlier.
Slovakia have had trouble scoring throughout their qualifying campaign, with just six goals in eight games, and Weiss has to do without strikers Stanislav Sestak, who is suspended, and Robert Vitteck, who has a knee injury.
Russia have striker Aleksandr Kerzhakov out injured for Friday’s match, but are nevertheless considered slight favorites, unbeaten in their last seven in all competition.
Ireland, two points behind Russia in second, could also qualify, but are relying on Russia to slip up in Zilina and need to beat Andorra and Armenia to stay in the reckoning. Beating those two will, however, guarantee the Irish the playoff spot as runners-up.
