Ryan Giggs wary of head-to-head record in tight group ahead of Wales' trip to Slovakia

October 10, 2019
Posted by Steven Tan | Source from Sky Sports
Ryan Giggs admits he has one eye on the head-to-head records ahead of Wales's match in Slovakia on Thursday, with it potentially being the determining factor in Group E.
 
A win for Giggs' side over second-placed Slovakia, live on Sky Sports, would take them level with a game in hand, with Croatia and Hungary facing each other on the same night.
 
The Welshman knows his side would have a superior head-to-head record over Slovakia if they can avoid defeat against them in Trnava - a factor which could prove crucial.
 
"It's been so competitive," Giggs told Sky Sports News.
 
"We've got four teams who have beaten each other and lost to each other, so it's coming down to crunch time and potentially head-to-heads.
 
"The results went for us but, ultimately, we've got to look after ourselves.
 
"After the two defeats in the summer, which were disappointing, we've come back and what I wanted was a little bit of momentum."
 
Wales' 1-0 win over Slovakia in March was their first game in Group E, before back-to-back defeats to Croatia and Hungary.
 
Their recent 2-1 victory over Azerbijan in September left them in contention for an automatic qualification spot, but Giggs knows that a draw against Slovakia would not be a disaster with three games to play after.
 
He said: "I want to win every game that I'm involved in but you have to recognise that, if you draw, you have a better head-to-head if you end up with the same points.
 
"But make no bones about it, we'll be looking to go out and win the game."
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