Preview: Romania vs. Slovenia - prediction, team news, lineups

Both nations failed to qualify for Qatar 2022 and now prepare for their penultimate fixtures of the calendar year before attention turns to qualifying for Euro 2024.

Match preview

A period of agony has befallen Romania over the past few months, as their defensive acumen ultimately counted for nought in World Cup qualifying, where they finished one point adrift of a playoff place and potential route to the 2022 tournament.

The Tricolours conceded a mere one goal in seven World Cup qualifying matches between September and November and took seven points from their final three games, but they finished one point adrift of North Macedonia in third place in Group J to leave them without a World Cup appearance since 1998.

A similar story reared its ugly head when Romania took to the field for the UEFA Nations League last month, where Edward Iordanescu's men were demoted back down to League C after finishing bottom of League B Group 3 - level on points with Montenegro but succumbing to an inferior head-to-head record.

Romania have picked up some notable results along the way - most notably a 4-1 thrashing of Bosnia & Herzegovina in their most recent match - but there is still work to be done if the Tricolours are to challenge the continent's best once again.

With Andorra, Israel, Kosovo, Switzerland and Belarus to come in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, Romania may be feeling quietly confident about their chances of earning a coveted spot at the tournament, but they welcome Slovenia to Cluj having lost their last two home friendlies to Georgia and Greece.

Approaching his fourth anniversary as Slovenia manager, Matjaz Kek is yet to lead his country to a major tournament since taking the reins, and the world's 63rd-ranked nation were forced to accept a fourth-placed finish in their World Cup qualifying group.

While Croatia and Russia sailed off into the sunset, Slovakia and Slovenia both finished on 14 points, with the former taking third place due to their head-to-head record and condemning Kek's side to another period of no World Cup football, having most recently got to the finals in 2010.

Only one win has come Slovenia's way in their eight matches since qualifying ended, but they have secured a second successive cycle of League B football in the UEFA Nations League after going unbeaten in their final four games - drawing three of them.

Kek's side will come up against Northern Ireland, Kazakhstan, Finland, Denmark and San Marino in their Euro 2024 qualifying period, and fixing a dire streak of away form must be on the agenda for the Slovenia boss, whose side have only won one of their last 12 matches and have failed to triumph in their last six.

It has been over 10 years since Slovenia and Romania last locked horns, with the Tricolours losing a 2012 friendly 4-3, and that thrilling success represents just one of Slovenia's two wins from their eight previous meetings with the hosts in all competitions.

Romania International Friendlies form:

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D

Romania form (all competitions):

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W

Slovenia International Friendlies form:

D

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Slovenia form (all competitions):

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Team News

Romania have already suffered two major attacking blows before the international period, with creative hub Florin Tanase and striker Denis Alibec both injured, and the latter could miss three weeks with a muscular tear.

Marius Stefanescu is expected to benefit from his teammates' injuries with a late call-up, while left-back Nicusor Bancu could be out for up to six months with a knee injury sustained in his most recent domestic game with Universitatea Craiova.

Cremonese's Ionut Radu is the only goalkeeper in the squad with caps to his name - albeit just two - but he has been dealing with an elbow injury, so either Horatiu Moldovan or Stefan Tarnovanu should make their senior debuts here.

Meanwhile, Slovenia have also lost a player to injury in the form of backup goalkeeper Vid Belec, but Jan Oblak's stint as number one is not going to end anytime soon.

There were no real surprises in Kek's selection for November's friendlies, and Jasmin Kurtic is set to become Slovenia's outright fourth-most capped player should he make his 82nd appearance here - overtaking Samir Handanovic in the process.

RB Leipzig-bound Benjamin Sesko is set to spearhead the charge for Slovenia, with the 19-year-old coming up with five goals and three assists in 16 league outings for Red Bull Salzburg this term.

Romania possible starting lineup:

Moldovan; Manea, Burca, Rus, Camora; R. Marin, Cicaldau; Man, Stanciu, Sorescu; Puscas

Slovenia possible starting lineup:

Oblak; Stojanovic, Blazic, Bijol, Sikosek; Horvat, Kurtic, Gorenc Stankovic, Verbic; Sesko, Sporar

We say: Romania 1-1 Slovenia

Romania have still been prone to the odd defensive lapse despite their recent spate of clean sheets, and Sesko will need no second invitation to make the hosts pay for such frailties.

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