Slovenia vs Scotland: TV channel, stream, kick-off time, odds & match preview

Oliver Platt

Slovenia vs Scotland: TV channel, stream, kick-off time, odds & match preview image

Scotland's World Cup hopes rest on their final qualification match against Slovenia.

Gordon Strachan's side boosted themselves into second place in Group F by beating Slovakia on Thursday and now have their fate in their own hands.

Their task is simple: they must win. If they do so, they will book a spot in the play-offs and keep their dream of going to Russia alive.

Game Slovenia vs Scotland
Date Sunday, October 8
Time 17:00 ET / 12:00 BST

TV CHANNEL & LIVE STREAM


Scotland

In the UK, the match will be available to watch live on television on Sky Sports Football and by stream via Sky Go.

UK TV channel Online stream
Sky Sports Football Sky Go

In the US, the match will be available to watch live on television on FS2 and by stream via Fox Sports Go.

US TV channel Online stream
FS2 Fox Sports Go

SQUADS & TEAM NEWS


Position Slovenia players
Goalkeepers Oblak, Belec, Koprivec
Defenders Cesar, Jokic, Samardzic, Mevlja, Skubic, Struna, Delamea, Viler, Sirok
Midfielders Kurtic, Verbic, Rotman, Vetrih, Repas, Bohar
Forwards Ilicic, Matavz, Bezjak, Sporar

Slovenia will be without midfielders Valter Birsa and Rene Krhin, who picked up yellow cards against England and are suspended.

Potential starting XI: Oblak; Struna, Mevlja, Cesar, Jokic; Rotman, Kurtic; Bezjak, Sporar, Verbic; Ilicic.

Position Scotland players
Goalkeepers Archer, Gordon, McGregor
Defenders Anya, Berra, Cooper, Hanley, Mulgrew, Robertson, Tierney, Whittaker
Midfielders Bannan, Fletcher, Forrest, McArthur, McGinn, McGregor, Morrison, Phillips, Snodgrass
Forwards Fletcher, Griffiths, Martin

Ryan Fraser has dropped out of the Scotland squad but Strachan will not name a replacement.

Andrew Robertson suffered a wrist injury against Slovakia but played through the pain and should be ready to feature again in this match.

Potential starting XI: Gordon; Tierney, Berra, Mulgrew, Robertson; Morrison, Fletcher, Bannan; Forrest, Griffiths, Phillips.


BETTING & MATCH ODDS


Andy Robertson Scotland

Scotland are 13/8 favourites to win, according to dabblebet, with Slovenia priced at 9/5 and the draw available at 11/5.

Click here to view dabblebet's full selection of available match markets.


GAME PREVIEW


Scotland

Scotland have the momentum behind them after one of their biggest wins in recent years against Slovakia.

They still have a long way to go to reach the World Cup finals due to the difficulty of a two-legged play-off, but they know what is required to reach that stage: just win again.

Although they currently sit bottom of the second-place ranking, a victory will be enough to ensure they rise above Greece. They play Gibraltar in their final match, and so will not gain any additional points as matches against sixth-placed teams are discarded.

Even if Greece fail to beat the minnows, Bosnia & Herzegovina - the team that could subsequently replace them in second - cannot keep pace with a Scotland win.

A draw will not be enough. In that scenario, Scotland do not catch Greece and the representatives from Group D and Group I, whoever they may be, are guaranteed to finish ahead of them.

So the Scots must go away from home and pull it out of the bag again. They will be aided by the absence of two experienced midfielders in Rene Krhin and Valter Birsa for yellow-card accumulation but face a formidable opponent in Jan Oblak.

Having won four of their past five games and been so close to beating in England in the fifth, Gordon Strachan's men will not be short of belief.

Oliver Platt