Slovenia vs. Scotland - Preview

After November\'s 3-2 loss in a friendly against USA, Slovenia will look for their first win under new manager Slavisa Stojanovic, but a couple of things have turned this into a tough task. A couple of weeks ago, both Robert Koren (61 caps, 5 goals) and Milivoje Novakovic (54 caps, 19 goals) announced their retirement from international football, while a couple of key pieces are questionable for tonight\'s game. One of them is PSV Eindhoven\'s striker Tim Matavz, who remains doubtful and could be left on the sidelines along with another striker Zlatan Ljubijankic. Matavz, who scored both goals against USA , will most likely be replaced by Zlatko Dedic.
Scotland aren\'t injury-free either and will miss the likes of Scott Brown, Phil Bardsley and Matt Phillips. As Slovenia, Scotland have failed to qualify for the Euro 2012, although being close to making it. Still, they are a tough team to play against and they\'ve shown that in their last couple of outings, including a 2-1 win at Cyprus in a friendly back in November.
Both sides will use this one as preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifications and given the problems both sides are dealing with, it\'s hard to pin-point a favorite. I think both sides would be pleased with a draw.